Anadolu Agency
May 5 2004

Labor And Social Security Minister Basesgioglu Leaves For Azerbaijan

ISTANBUL – Turkish Labor and Social Security Minister Murat
Basesgioglu left on Wednesday for Azerbaijani capital Baku on an
official visit.

Speaking to reporters at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, Basesgioglu said
that he would hold meetings on issues concerning labor ministries of
the two countries.

Recalling that cooperation agreement was signed between ministries of
the two countries in 1997 and Social Security Agreement which was
signed later went into effect in 2001, he said that international
cooperation, employment, social security and exchange of experts
between Turkey and Azerbaijan would be discussed in the meeting of
joint permanent commission between ministries in Baku.

Basesgioglu said that they would also sign administrative agreement
regulating implementation and provisions of Social Security Agreement
during his visit to Baku.

Basesgioglu stated that he would also be received by Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister and National Assembly
Chairman.

Replying to a question on non-participation of Azerbaijani
parliamentarians in the voting on Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC) held in the Council of European Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA)
last week, Basesgioglu said, ”Turkey and Azerbaijan are two friendly
countries. National issues of the two countries have been followed
and defended together on international platform. We wish that
Azerbaijani parliamentarians had cast their votes and expressed their
views supporting Turkish thesis. I have just learnt that they
established a connection between Upper Karabakh issue and Cyprus
issue. The two countries will discuss it in detail. It is obvious
that there is need for a better communication and coordination from
now on. Despite all those things, I think that there should not be
any situation which might harm friendship between the two countries.
However, we have defended Azerbaijan’s national causes with
sensitivity on international platform so far. I hope that we will be
given value for it in coming days. I hope that both countries will
act together in defending their joint national causes.”

Replying to a question on unemployment, he said that Turkish
government attached great importance to unemployment issue and noted
that unemployment rate would reduce to 6-7 percent in 2010.