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Russia Supports Turkey's Caucasus Stability And Cooperation Pact

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  • Russia Supports Turkey's Caucasus Stability And Cooperation Pact

    RUSSIA SUPPORTS TURKEY'S CAUCASUS STABILITY AND COOPERATION PACT

    PanARMENIAN.Net
    03.09.2008 15:17 GMT+04:00

    /PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov yesterday
    accused NATO countries of arming Georgia, while at the same time
    praising the stance of Turkey - itself a member of the alliance,
    the Turkish Daily News reports.

    Although Lavrov admitted that Turkey and Russia have different
    approaches with regards to Georgia's territorial integrity, he
    nevertheless voiced support for the Turkish proposal for a regional
    cooperation mechanism. On a one day visit to Istanbul, Lavrov offered
    concrete proposals to solve the problems facing Turkish exporters
    by Russian customs. In a joint news conference with his Turkish
    counterpart Ali Babacan, Lavrov denied that stricter Russian controls
    on Turkish imports are politically motivated. The checks resulted
    in hundreds of Turkish trucks being stranded at Russian border posts
    over the past few weeks. They raised questions about whether Russia was
    punishing NATO member Turkey for allowing U.S. warships carrying aid to
    Georgia to pass through the Bosporus. Lavrov said some countries had
    breached customs regulations, prompting Russian authorities to take
    more stringent measures. "We are not discriminating against Turkey,"
    assured Lavrov. "We offered a more simplified method for Turkish
    goods," he said, adding that the custom authorities will meet soon
    to discuss the issue.

    Despite his criticism of NATO countries arming Georgia, Lavrov said
    Turkey's alliance commitments were not an obstacle for Turkish-Russian
    relations. "Turkey never used its NATO membership at the expense of
    violating international principles. While being loyal to its NATO
    commitments it does not forget its commitments to the UN or OSCE,"
    said Lavrov, also expressing satisfaction with Turkey's position on
    the maritime regime in the Bosporus and the Black Sea.

    While Babacan emphasized the importance of Georgia's territorial
    integrity, his Russian counterpart said the recognition of the
    independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is the only way to secure
    the existence of the people in these two regions. "We need to respect
    our differences," said Lavrov when asked about the divergence of view
    between Russia and Turkey. "The difference of view between Russia
    and Turkey is that, this does not create hysteria. This does not pose
    a threat to our relations. We take it as a matter of fact," he said
    recalling how Turkey recognized the independence of Kosovo. "Russia
    is loyal to the principle of territorial integrity. But there are
    commitments to the security of the people too," he said.

    Voicing support for the Turkish proposal for a Caucasus Stability and
    Cooperation Pact, Lavrov said Russia appreciates Turkey's efforts to
    defuse the tension. Lavrov added that the two countries officials will
    cooperate to set the framework of the new mechanism. "This initiative
    is based on common sense," he said, adding that countries of the
    region should deal with their problems rather than wait for others
    to impose their own solutions.
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