FRANCE WELCOMES TURKISH CONTRIBUTION TO UNIFIL

The New Anatolian, Turkey
Sept 11 2006

French Ambassador in Ankara Paul Poudade said on Monday that his
country welcomed Parliament’s approval of a motion to send Turkish
troops to Lebanon.

"Turkey did well in joining the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL)
in Lebanon," he added.

Asked by reporters about the deployment of Turkish troops in Lebanon
and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul’s visit to Paris this week, Poudade
said that sending troops to Lebanon would be one of the main topics
of Gul’s trip.

Poudade added that Turkey has good relations with both Israel and
many Arab countries, and said that it would be the stabilizing force
in a troubled region.

Foreign Minister Gul will arrive in Paris today to participate in a
Mediterranean cultural workshop entitled "Dialogue Between Peoples
and Cultures," to be held tomorrow.

Gul is also expected to meet his French counterpart Philippe
Douste-Blazy on the sidelines of the meeting.

The foreign minister’s visit to France comes after relations
were strained earlier this year by the French Parliament’s move to
criminalize questioning Armenian genocide claims, and several obstacles
from Paris impeding smooth progress for Turkey in its European Union
accession talks.

Gul is expected to remind Douste-Blazy of EU pledges to end the
international isolation of the Turkish Cypriots and express the
Turkish government’s expectation about finding a solution to the Cyprus
problem. The French minister is expected to brief Gul on the status
of a proposed French base in Greek Cyprus. The two ministers are also
planning to discuss current Middle East issues, including Iran.

Gul will also deliver a speech at the French International Relations
Institute on Thursday and leave the country on Saturday.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress