PRESIDENT SEZER MEETS WITH MACEDONIAN PRESIDENT TRAJKOVSKI

SKOPJE - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer started his official contacts in Macedonia on Tuesday.
Sezer was welcomed by an official ceremony by Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski in Macedonian parliament building.
PRESIDENT SEZER: ''WE EXCHANGED VIEWS ON REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS INCLUDING TERRORISM''
Sezer said, ''during our meetings with President Boris Trajkovski of Macedonia, we exchanged views on regional and international problems including terrorism and fight against organized crimes. Both Turkey and Macedonia are in favor of solving problems through political dialogue by protecting rightful expectations of the sides.''
President Sezer and President Trajkovski presided meetings between Turkish and Macedonian delegations following their meetings.
Later, memorandums of understanding were signed between two countries.
Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation between Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Training Center and Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Training Center; and Memorandum of Understanding between Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Strategic Studies Center and Macedonian Science and Art Academy were initialed.
Then, President Sezer and his Macedonian counterpart Trajkovski held a joint press conference.
Speaking at the press conference, President Sezer expressed his pleasure with paying a visit to Macedonia.
''Besides its strategic position in the region, Macedonia is a distinguished member of the international community with its multicultural social structure including many ethnic groups. We attribute special importance to our relations with Macedonia. As two friendly countries, Turkey and Macedonia have been sharing same geography, a common culture and common values. Since Macedonia acquired its independence, bilateral relations between Turkey and Macedonia have further improved and reached a very good level,'' he said.
President Sezer told reporters, ''during our meetings with President Trajkovski, I am pleased to see that Macedonia has consolidated the atmosphere of stability and security as a result of its positive policies; taken courageous steps to base relations among ethnic groups on more sound grounds, and progressed in its integration process with European-Atlantic institutions. I want to stress that Turkey will continue to support Macedonia in this integration process.''
''During our meetings, we assessed bilateral and multilateral issues concerning our countries in detail. We discussed developments about regional cooperation projects. We reached consensus that mechanisms in our countries should be used in an influential way to further develop our cooperation in economy and trade. We decided that Turkey-Macedonia Free Trade Agreement should be reviewed due to changing conditions. Turkish and Macedonian private sectors have important functions in efforts to further develop economic and commercial relations. We encourage our private sector to make more investments in Macedonia,'' he said.
President Sezer said, ''during our meetings, we highlighted importance of protection of all cultural assets including works of the Ottoman era from any kind of attacks. We stressed that Macedonian citizens of Turkish origin have constituted the most sound element of friendship between our countries.''
''We exchanged views on regional and international problems including terrorism and fight against organized crimes. Both Turkey and Macedonia are in favor of solving problems through political dialogue by protecting rightful expectations of the sides. I hope that my visit to Macedonia will accelerate our bilateral relations,'' he added.
TRAJKOVSKI: ''NATO AND EU MEMBERSHIP IS OUR JOINT INTEREST''
Trajkovski expressed on Tuesday his pleasure with the visit of Sezer and emphasized that Sezer's visit would have an important contribution to traditional friendship relations which made a significant progress for 12 years since Macedonia had become independent.
Noting that Turkey, with a determined manner, supported Macedonia since it had gained its independence, Trajkovski said, ''this determined support was expressed clearly during the refugee crisis in 1999. Sezer has a special contribution in developing of this support and cooperation.''
Trajkovski said that NATO membership of Macedonia and European Union (EU) membership of Turkey and Macedonia were joint interests and he added that the cooperation of two countries in that issue would continue. He said, ''during our meetings, we have reached an agreement to carry on our cooperation in NATO and EU membership which are our joint interests.''
Trajkovski said that they were supporting EU accession efforts of Turkey which was an important and strategical country for the region.
Noting that political relations between two countries were on a good level, Trajkovski said that in spite of this, commercial and economic relations were not on the same level. He added that they thought that Free Trade Agreement which was still valid should be revised.
Trajkovski said that Macedonia was open to Turkish investments and Turkish businessmen could make investments in Macedonia and also Turkish businessmen could make joint initiatives with Macedonian businessmen in third countries. He added that Turkish and Macedonian firms could act jointly in rebuilding of Iraq.
Noting the efforts to provide supremacy of law within the scope of first political arrangements in Macedonia, Trajkovski said that they gave information to Sezer about this issue. He added, ''I gave information to Sezer about the contribution of Turkish society in Macedonia in this issue.''
Trajkovski said that they were expecting support from Turkey about Macedonia's NATO membership.
Noting that they took up the issue of fight against terrorism with Sezer, Trajkovski said that they aimed to develop cooperation with Turkey regarding this issue.

During President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's visit to Macedonia, participation of representatives of Turkish minority in the Macedonian Parliament and local administrations and protection of Ottoman works were taken up.
Officials stressed that Turkey attributed great importance to Turkish people, who constituted the third biggest minority in Macedonia.
The issue of protection of rights of Turkish minority was high on agenda of President Sezer's meetings with Macedonian officials.
During the meetings, President Sezer highlighted importance of participation of representatives of Turkish minority in the Macedonian Parliament and local administrations.
Recalling that some Ottoman works were demolished during the incidents in Macedonia in 2001, President Sezer said, ''attacks on historical works during the clashes of 2001 created a profound sorrow in Turkey.''
Meanwhile, President Boris Trajkovski of Macedonia expressed his regret over the attacks on historical works.
Referring to bilateral economic relations between Turkey and Macedonia, President Sezer said, ''if Macedonia can resolve problems of Turkish businessmen, Turkish investments in Macedonia will increase. Meanwhile, Turkey-Macedonia Free Trade Agreement should be reviewed because of changing conditions.''
During President Sezer's visit to Macedonia, Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation between Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Training Center and Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Training Center; and Memorandum of Understanding between Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs Strategic Studies Center and Macedonian Science and Art Academy were initialed.
The sides will exchange information on training programs and academic activities, encourage their academicians and researchers to attend conferences and seminars in Turkey and Macedonia and exchange publication.
SEZER RECEIVES MACEDONIAN ASSEMBLY SPEAKER POPOVSKI
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer received Macedonian Assembly Speaker Nikola Popovski in Skopje.
The meeting which took place at the Macedonian Assembly building was close to press.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal and Turkish Ambassador in Skopje Mehmet Taser attended the meeting.
SEZER RECEIVES TURKISH DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER HASIP
President Ahmet Necdet Sezer received Turkish Democratic Party (TDP) leader Kenan Hasip and accompanying delegation in Macedonia.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ugur Ziyal and Turkish Ambassador in Skopje Mehmet Taser were also in attendance at the meeting which was close to press.
Replying questions of reporters after the meeting, Hasip said thet they had held a very beneficial meeting.
Hasip said he had informed President Sezer on activities of his party and problems of Turks living in Macedonia.
He added that President Sezer had expressed his support to them.
Meanwhile, President Sezer also received the Turkish Embassy in Skopje and its institutions personnel and representatives of several military and civil Turkish organizations in Macedonia.
Nearly seventy-eight thousand Turks live in Macedonia and this is equal to 4.3 percent of population in Macedonia.
SEZER VISITS SOME OTTOMAN BUILDINGS IN MACEDONIA
Sezer visited some Ottoman-era buildings in capital Skopje on Tuesday.
President Sezer first visited Mustafa Pasha Mosque, which was constructed in 1492.
Later, he visited Davut Pasha Public Path, which was erected in 1460.
Officials at Davut Pasha Public Bath told President Sezer, ''we have a great regret to Turkish culture. We have been doing our best to protect Turkish historical works. We invited Turkish artists to open exhibitions here.''
President Sezer said that Turkey would assist Macedonia in restoration of historical works.
(UK) 01.07.2003