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From: Sebouh Z Tashjian <[email protected]>
Subject: ANKARA: Gul has first talks w/Medvedev, courtesy meeting w/Sarksyan
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Gül has first talks with Medvedev, `courtesy meeting' with Sarksyan
Gül (C) is seen chatting with his Armenian counterpart, Sarksyan, and
Azerbaijani President Aliyev (L). Photo
Weekend festivities in Astana to celebrate the 10th birthday of the
Kazakh capital city offered an opportunity for the first bilateral
meeting between Turkey's President Abdullah Gül and Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev since Medvedev's March election.
Astana was also the venue for a first courtesy meeting between Gül
and Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan, elected in February. The three
leaders, none of whom have yet concluded their first year in office,
attended celebrations for the 10-year anniversary of the world's
youngest capital, Astana, which was designated the country's leading
city by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. On Saturday Gül and
Medvedev held bilateral talks closed to the press on the sidelines of
the Astana gathering. "Turkey and Russia are two countries whose
relations with each other have been proceeding in regards to
neighborhood, friendship and in every way. I believe that all of us
will work in cooperation to carry our relations to a further level. As
both you and we have this political will, I believe we can carry this
out," Gül said, as the two leaders posed for the cameras ahead of
their meeting.
Medvedev expressed pleasure over his meeting with Gül and pledged
efforts for improving bilateral relations with Turkey. Later in the
day, his presidential aide, Sergei Prikhodko, said Medvedev and Gül
had agreed to exchange visits and discussed prospects for interaction
between the two countries in the fields of investment and tourism.
Prikhodko said Medvedev had invited the Turkish president to make an
official visit to Russia, while Gül said he would be glad to see his
Russian colleague in his country.
During the meeting, the leaders of the two countries considered
possibilities for increasing trade and expanding cooperation to carry
out key infrastructure projects. "Abdullah Gül noted Turkish
construction companies' great interest in realizing key infrastructure
projects in Russia. Turkey showed interest in attracting construction
companies to carry out tasks on the [Winter] Olympic Games in Sochi,"
Prikhodko said.
Also on Saturday Gül spoke briefly with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Sarksyan at the presidential Akorda Palace. Gül walked
arm-in-arm with the two leaders for a while. During the walk, Sarksyan
started the conversation, saying, "I know Turkish," in
Turkish. However Aliyev assisted their conversation, acting as a
translator.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Gül called his conversation with
Sarksyan and Aliyev a "courtesy meeting." During the conversation he
congratulated Sarksyan for his election to the presidency and told him
that he had received a formal invitation to visit Yerevan for a
football match in September, Gül said. "We are assessing the
invitation," Gül briefly told reporters, when asked whether he would
accept the invitation. Armenia and Turkey will play against each other
in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Sept. 6 in a qualifying match
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to be held in South Africa.
07 July 2008, Monday
TODAY'S ZAMAN ASTANA, ANKARA
Subject: ANKARA: Gul has first talks w/Medvedev, courtesy meeting w/Sarksyan
Today's Zaman, Turkey
Gül has first talks with Medvedev, `courtesy meeting' with Sarksyan
Gül (C) is seen chatting with his Armenian counterpart, Sarksyan, and
Azerbaijani President Aliyev (L). Photo
Weekend festivities in Astana to celebrate the 10th birthday of the
Kazakh capital city offered an opportunity for the first bilateral
meeting between Turkey's President Abdullah Gül and Russian President
Dmitry Medvedev since Medvedev's March election.
Astana was also the venue for a first courtesy meeting between Gül
and Armenian President Serzh Sarksyan, elected in February. The three
leaders, none of whom have yet concluded their first year in office,
attended celebrations for the 10-year anniversary of the world's
youngest capital, Astana, which was designated the country's leading
city by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. On Saturday Gül and
Medvedev held bilateral talks closed to the press on the sidelines of
the Astana gathering. "Turkey and Russia are two countries whose
relations with each other have been proceeding in regards to
neighborhood, friendship and in every way. I believe that all of us
will work in cooperation to carry our relations to a further level. As
both you and we have this political will, I believe we can carry this
out," Gül said, as the two leaders posed for the cameras ahead of
their meeting.
Medvedev expressed pleasure over his meeting with Gül and pledged
efforts for improving bilateral relations with Turkey. Later in the
day, his presidential aide, Sergei Prikhodko, said Medvedev and Gül
had agreed to exchange visits and discussed prospects for interaction
between the two countries in the fields of investment and tourism.
Prikhodko said Medvedev had invited the Turkish president to make an
official visit to Russia, while Gül said he would be glad to see his
Russian colleague in his country.
During the meeting, the leaders of the two countries considered
possibilities for increasing trade and expanding cooperation to carry
out key infrastructure projects. "Abdullah Gül noted Turkish
construction companies' great interest in realizing key infrastructure
projects in Russia. Turkey showed interest in attracting construction
companies to carry out tasks on the [Winter] Olympic Games in Sochi,"
Prikhodko said.
Also on Saturday Gül spoke briefly with Azerbaijani President Ilham
Aliyev and Sarksyan at the presidential Akorda Palace. Gül walked
arm-in-arm with the two leaders for a while. During the walk, Sarksyan
started the conversation, saying, "I know Turkish," in
Turkish. However Aliyev assisted their conversation, acting as a
translator.
Speaking to reporters yesterday, Gül called his conversation with
Sarksyan and Aliyev a "courtesy meeting." During the conversation he
congratulated Sarksyan for his election to the presidency and told him
that he had received a formal invitation to visit Yerevan for a
football match in September, Gül said. "We are assessing the
invitation," Gül briefly told reporters, when asked whether he would
accept the invitation. Armenia and Turkey will play against each other
in the Armenian capital of Yerevan on Sept. 6 in a qualifying match
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to be held in South Africa.
07 July 2008, Monday
TODAY'S ZAMAN ASTANA, ANKARA