PRESIDENT ALIYEV OF AZERBAIJAN RECEIVES GUL
Anatolian Times
June 22 2006
BAKU – President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan received on Monday Turkish
Foreign Minister & Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul who is currently
in Azerbaijani capital Baku to attend meeting of foreign ministers
of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
The meeting focused on Kars-Tbilisi-Javakheti (Ahilkelek)-Baku
Railway Project.
Gul stressed that transportation ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and
Georgia should come together to overcome several difficulties about
the project.
"Georgia has some serious hesitations. Turkey can help Georgia to
remove those hesitations," he said.
Noting that Armenia might join the project, Gul said that private
companies in Kazakhstan were interested in construction of the project.
Meanwhile, President Aliyev said that they attached importance to
the railway project.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline was also high on agenda
of the meeting.
President Aliyev said that the inclusion of Kazakhstan in the pipeline
was a historic development.
Referring to Iran`s nuclear activities, President Aliyev said that
Turkey`s role was of great importance to this end.
President Aliyev said that they appreciated Gul`s efforts to resolve
the issue through diplomatic ways.
The Upper Karabakh dispute, recent developments in Palestine and
activities of the OIC were also taken up at the meeting.
Gul invited President Aliyev to attend the Summit of Turkish-Speaking
Countries in Turkey in fall.