President Yushchenko Of Ukraine Due In Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey -- President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine will pay his first foreign trip since taking office earlier this year, to Turkey on June 6th and 8th.

President Yushchenko will meet Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.


Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer
He is also scheduled to hold talks with representatives of the Foreign Economic Relations Board and Turkish businessmen in Istanbul.

During the visit of Yushchenko, a series of agreements will be signed to further improve the bilateral relations between Turkey and Ukraine.

The agreements are ''Cooperation Agreement for Energy'', ''Cooperation Agreement for Railway Transportation'', ''Scientific & Technical Cooperation Agreement'', ''Additional Protocol to Cooperation Agreement for Fight Against Crimes'', ''Agreement for Re-acceptance of People'' and ''Memorandum of Understanding for Nuclear Cooperation''.

Meanwhile, Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen and Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleh Rybachuk will preside the Turkey-Ukraine Joint Economic Commission meeting.

During the visit, Ukrainian side will express its desire to develop its cooperation with Turkey in transportation and energy.

Problems between the two countries in fishery are expected to be brought onto agenda during the meetings. Talks have been under way for two years to resolve the problems stemming from the differences in regulations of the countries.

Diplomatic sources said that the new government in Ukraine could speed up the solution process.

The relations between Turkey and Ukraine were set up with an agreement on establishment of diplomatic relations in 1992.

Turkey attributes importance to its relations with Ukraine in regard to regional stability and targets to further improve those relations in every area.

In 2004, a ''Joint Action Plan'' was signed to determine a comprehensive frame of cooperation areas between the two countries.

Turkish Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul paid the first official visit to Ukraine after the change in the administration following the presidential elections in 2004.

President Yushchenko's visit is expected to improve the current atmosphere of dialogue and the bilateral relations which have risen to the level of strategic partnership.

Turkey became the fifth biggest trade partner of Ukraine and the third biggest export market.

Crimean Tatars living in Ukraine constitute an element enriching the friendly relations between the two countries.

Source: Turkish Press