PRESIDENT SEZER AND PRESIDENT ADAMKUS HOLD JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE

Anatolian Times
June 22 2006

ANKARA – "We should encourage our businessmen to make joint
investments," said Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer on Tuesday.

President Sezer and President Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania held a
joint news conference following their tete-a-tete meeting.

Speaking at the news conference, President Sezer said, "we discussed
ways to further develop cooperation between Turkey and Lithuania. Our
economic and commercial relations have been improving day by day. We
should encourage our businessmen to make joint investments. Also,
we should exert more efforts to improve our relations in the areas
of culture, education and tourism."

"Turkey welcomed Lithuania’s accession to the EU and supported its
membership to NATO. I believe that President Adamkus’ visit will
accelerate the bilateral relations between our countries," President
Sezer added.

Meanwhile, President Adamkus said in his part that he could not think
of an EU without Turkey.

He extended Lithuania’s full support to Turkey’s EU membership process.

Recalling that a number of Lithuanian businessmen were accompanying him
during his visit to Turkey, President Adamkus said that Lithuanian
businessmen would hold a series of talks with their Turkish
counterparts.

Referring to the Upper Karabakh dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia,
President Adamkus said that they were in favor of a peaceful solution.