Tusiad Informs Foreign Minister Gul On Their Visit To United States

ANKARA - Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday, ''during our meetings, members of the Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) Executive Board informed me on their visit to the United States.''
Responding questions of journalists following his meeting with TUSIAD delegation, Gul said, ''besides their visit to the United States, economic issues, Turkey's European Union (EU) membership process and TUSIAD's works about employment were taken up.''
Stressing that the government attributed importance to working together with non-governmental organizations, Gul said, ''TUSIAD is one of the non-governmental organizations working actively. We benefit from its views.''
Responding a question about news stories claiming that the Turkish government's initiative to set up direct dialogue with the National Armenian Committee in the United States was rejected, Gul said that any secret initiative was not launched.
Recalling that he had met with Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanyan of Armenia during the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Spanish capital Madrid, Gul said, ''I informed Oskanyan on Turkey's views about regional problems. I stressed that Turkey wanted to contribute to efforts to find solution to these problems.''
(UK-AÖ) 09.06.2003