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Hürriyet, Turkey
Sunday, September 21, 2008 15:06
HotNewsTurkey.com
Turkish President Gul to meet head of the UNDP in New York
Turkish President Abdullah Gul will meet Kemal Dervis, administrator
of the United Nations Development Programme in New York where he
arrived on Sunday to attend the United Nations summit.
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is also expected to attend the meeting
between Gul and Dervis.
Gul will begin holding talks at the UN on Monday.
A new chill in East-West relations overhangs next week's U.N. General
Assembly gathering of world leaders, the first major international
meeting since Russia-Georgia war last month.
The financial turmoil on Wall Street could also cast a cloud over the
annual week of speechifying, whose main theme this year is stepping up
aid to impoverished countries.
But for Turkey the most important aim is to bring to the same table
top Armenian and Azerbaijani diplomats with the hope of taking a step
towards a solution of the conflicts.
Babacan plans to meet with his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts
in New York on Sept. 25 and 26 respectively on the sidelines of the UN
summit.
The ministers are expected to meet both bilaterally and trilaterally
to mainly discuss settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.
ARMENIA OPTIMISTIC
Armenia also sounds optimistic about the prospects of a solution in
the long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 due to
Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20 percent of
Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven
surrounding districts. Some 10 percent of the Azeri population was
displaced due to a series of bloody clashes both between and within
the two neighboring countries.
In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
TURKEY'S PUSH FOR COUNCIL
Gull will hold also meetings with heads of state and government and
ask for support in regard to Turkey's candidacy for a non-permanent
seat at the UN Security Council for 2009-2010 during the meetings of
UN General Assembly in New York.
"I am going to explain our (my counterparts) demand for Council
membership for the 2009-10 term. I believe that Turkey's, a country
who is not present in the Council for almost 50 years, election would
enhance our position and importance in international relations," Gul
had told reporters in Ankara on Saturday before he left for the U.S.
He also said he does not know whether Armenian President Sarz Sargsyan
would attend the summit or not but there is no scheduled meeting
between two leaders. Two countries' foreign ministers would meet, he
added.
A warmer period began between the two neighbors, who for more than a
decade have not had any diplomatic relations, after Gul paid a
landmark visit to Armenia early September.
Turkey hopes this period would lead to a normalization of
relations. Turkey and Armenia do not have diplomatic relations because
of Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan.
Sunday, September 21, 2008 15:06
HotNewsTurkey.com
Turkish President Gul to meet head of the UNDP in New York
Turkish President Abdullah Gul will meet Kemal Dervis, administrator
of the United Nations Development Programme in New York where he
arrived on Sunday to attend the United Nations summit.
Foreign Minister Ali Babacan is also expected to attend the meeting
between Gul and Dervis.
Gul will begin holding talks at the UN on Monday.
A new chill in East-West relations overhangs next week's U.N. General
Assembly gathering of world leaders, the first major international
meeting since Russia-Georgia war last month.
The financial turmoil on Wall Street could also cast a cloud over the
annual week of speechifying, whose main theme this year is stepping up
aid to impoverished countries.
But for Turkey the most important aim is to bring to the same table
top Armenian and Azerbaijani diplomats with the hope of taking a step
towards a solution of the conflicts.
Babacan plans to meet with his Azerbaijani and Armenian counterparts
in New York on Sept. 25 and 26 respectively on the sidelines of the UN
summit.
The ministers are expected to meet both bilaterally and trilaterally
to mainly discuss settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict.
ARMENIA OPTIMISTIC
Armenia also sounds optimistic about the prospects of a solution in
the long-running dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia began in 1988 due to
Armenian territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
Since 1992, Armenian Armed Forces have occupied 20 percent of
Azerbaijan including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and its seven
surrounding districts. Some 10 percent of the Azeri population was
displaced due to a series of bloody clashes both between and within
the two neighboring countries.
In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement at which
time the active hostilities ended. The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk
Group are currently holding peaceful negotiations.
TURKEY'S PUSH FOR COUNCIL
Gull will hold also meetings with heads of state and government and
ask for support in regard to Turkey's candidacy for a non-permanent
seat at the UN Security Council for 2009-2010 during the meetings of
UN General Assembly in New York.
"I am going to explain our (my counterparts) demand for Council
membership for the 2009-10 term. I believe that Turkey's, a country
who is not present in the Council for almost 50 years, election would
enhance our position and importance in international relations," Gul
had told reporters in Ankara on Saturday before he left for the U.S.
He also said he does not know whether Armenian President Sarz Sargsyan
would attend the summit or not but there is no scheduled meeting
between two leaders. Two countries' foreign ministers would meet, he
added.
A warmer period began between the two neighbors, who for more than a
decade have not had any diplomatic relations, after Gul paid a
landmark visit to Armenia early September.
Turkey hopes this period would lead to a normalization of
relations. Turkey and Armenia do not have diplomatic relations because
of Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan.