Today’s Zaman, Turkey
Aug 25 2008

Diplomats to lay blueprint for Babacan-Lavrov talks

Russian and Turkish diplomats will meet this week in order to lay the
groundwork for a planned meeting between foreign ministers of the two
countries that will focus on Ankara’s proposal for establishing a
Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform which will gather Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia and Turkey under the same roof.

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan initiated a phone conversation with his
Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Friday and the two discussed
the proposed platform amidst reports that Turkey will include its
estranged neighbor Armenia in regional peace efforts via Russia.

Babacan conveyed a set of "concrete proposals" to Lavrov during the
conversation, Foreign Ministry spokesman Burak Özügergin said, without
elaborating. Officials from the Turkish and Russian foreign ministries
will meet next week to work on the proposals. Babacan and Lavrov will
also meet in early September to review progress in the technical
talks. Foreign Ministry officials, approached by Today’s Zaman
yesterday, were not able to provide information on the venue and exact
date of the talks. However, sources involved in the issue said
Ambassador Ünal Çeviköz, the deputy undersecretary responsible for the
Caucasus and Central Asia affairs, will lead the Foreign Ministry
delegation during talks.

25 August 2008, Monday
TODAY’S ZAMAN ANKARA