BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION SUMMIT IN ISTANBUL
By Hakob Chakrian

AZG Armenian Daily
26/06/2007

The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Summit launched in Istanbul
yesterday. Turkish President Ahmed Nejdet Sezer held an opening speech
at the summit. The summit is dedicated to the 13th anniversary of
the organization. All of the 12 member-states of the organization
were present at the summit at the level of the presidents, prime
ministers and foreign ministers. According to the Turkish Public TV,
the agenda of the summit will include the energy and communication
issues in the Black Sea basin and the neighbouring regions. It is
supposed that the Summit will greatly contribute to the further
activities of the organization.

Within the framework of the summit, Sezer receievd the presidents of
Georgia, Azerbaijan and Serbia, as well as met with Russian President
Vladimir Putin. Turkish Prime Minister rejep Taip erdoghan met with
Putin also.

"Milliet" stated that the Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian
and Turkish FM Abdullah Giul met before the opening of the summit
at "Cheraghan" palace. The meeting was held within closed doors and
none of the TV channels was allowed to shoot something. The meeting
lasted half an hour. "Miliet" also pointed out that the contradictions
between Russia and Turkey in the spheres of energetics had big impact
on the bilateral meetings.