Azerbaijan-Turkish-Georgian Leaders Pledge Cooperation
Trilateral Summit in Trabzon
Azerbaijan-Turkey-Georgia summit in Trabzon, Turkey, ended with signature of the Agreement on to combat terrorism, the drugs trade, arms smuggling between the three states on April 30.
The details of the agreement were discussed by the three presidents on a previous day. The agreement was signed by the interior ministers of the three states.
“The summit did not aim at creation of a coalition. This meeting is not directed against any other state. This is a next step towards further extension of cooperation between the three states, aimed at establishment of peace and welfare in the region” – said the Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer at the final briefing of the summit.
The Turkish and Georgian law enforcers already agreed on particular measures against terrorism. As the Anatolia news agency reported, the Turkish Interior Minister Rustu Kazim Yucelen submitted to his Georgian counterpart information on organizations in Georgia that assist Kurdistan Labor Party [PKK], which is considered in Turkey to be a terrorist organization.
“There are two foundations and one association in Georgia, which assist Kurdish terrorists. The Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia Mr. Koba Narchemashvili told me that he will solve the problem, as soon as he returns back to the country” – said Rustu Kazim Yucelen on May 29.
The Georgian Interior Ministry does not disclose the names of these organizations, but as the Ministry’s spokesman Paata Gomelauri told the Civil Georgia, “the document signed in Trabzon considers assistance in combat against the terrorist groups and the Georgian side will start acting in this direction.” Details of the agreement are not public so far.
Security of pipeline projects that will bring Caspian Sea gas and oil to the West topped the summit agenda as well. The presidents once again confirmed that the stability and security guarantees are the keys to successful implementation of Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzrum gas pipeline these strategic projects, which forsees
The construction of the pipelines is due to start in summer, 2002 and finish by the end of 2004. There are concerns that tensions in Georgia’s breakaway province of Abkhazia, and US administrations claims that terrorist groups linked to the al-Qaida are hiding in Georgia’s troubled Pankisi gorge could affect the security of the pipeline project.
Azeri, Turkish and Georgian presidents agreed that consultations regarding security issues of these energy projects will still continue and the relevant protocol will be concluded in the nearest future.
The bilateral meetings also took place during the summit. The Turkish and Georgian presidents discussed issues of cooperation between the two states.
The Turkish president once again confirmed that the Turkey would do everything to facilitate to peaceful resolution of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. “We are ready to give all kinds of support in the diplomatic field,” President Sezer stated at the news briefing. President Shevardnadze expressed his gratitude for such a positive attitude of the Turkish side towards this issue.
The presidents agreed to hold similar trilateral meetings annually.
