SKOPJE - President Ahmet Necdet Sezer said late on Tuesday that there was a need for a new proposal and initiative to overcome the stagnation observed in recent period in cooperation between Turkey and Macedonia in fields of economy and trade, adding, ''both sides have important responsibilities to encourage their businessmen for mutual investments.''
Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski and his wife Vilma Trajkovska hosted dinner in honor of President Sezer and his wife Semra Sezer at the Macedonian Assembly.
Speaking at the dinner, President Sezer said that Macedonia with which Turkey had historical, cultural and humanitarian ties had a very special place and meaning for Turkish citizens.
Noting that effects of those ties were observed in common words in their languages, cuisine and music, Sezer said that many prominent people in political, social and cultural life in Turkey had roots extended to Macedonia.
''Especially Bitola remind us very good and meaningful associations about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. A special room was dedicated to him in the building where he received military training and which is now a museum. This reflects the Macedonia's friendship and appreciation of value. I want to express our gratitude to Macedonian people and particularly to Mr. President Trajkovski,'' he said.
''We consider powerful ties and similar traditions that have occurred between our two peoples who lived together for centuries basis of friendly relations between our two countries and guarantee of future of our cooperation. Our common history and culture constitute the course of traditional solidarity and friendship between our peoples. With this respect, we believe that Turkish citizens of Macedonian origin and Macedonian citizens of Turkish origin constitute the most concrete base of friendship bridge between our two countries,'' the President said.
Stating that they appreciated President Trajkovski's efforts in resettlement of stability and confidence in Macedonia and process of restructuring of Macedonia and integration with Europe-Atlantic institutions and implementation of the Ohri Framework Agreement, Sezer said, ''Turkey is the closest friend of Macedonia with which it shares the same geography. It has proved it by extending every support to Macedonia during its most difficult days. I want to stress that Turkey is one of the first countries that recognized Macedonia's independence constitutionally, and we defend the name of the Republic of Macedonia in international level.''
''We are happy that cooperation between our two countries continues both in bilateral level and regional and international environments. There is similarity and even identicalness between approaches of our two countries to the regional and global problems. However, there is a need for a new proposal and initiative to overcome the stagnation observed in recent period in cooperation between Turkey and Macedonia in fields of economy and trade. Both sides have important responsibilities to encourage their businessmen for mutual investments,'' he said.
''As the political determination which is a condition of this exists in both sides, the thing which should be done at first is to make use of the existing mechanisms in a more effective way and to update legal arrangements according to changing conditions on basis of mutual benefits in order to improve our cooperation in fields of economy and trade. With this respect, we consider it beneficial to review especially the free trade agreement'' the President stated.
President Sezer added, ''there is a friendship between Turkey and Macedonia, which enables continuous development of our bilateral cooperation. We take pride in this, and we want to reflect our powerful ties on the future.''
Meanwhile, Macedonian President Trajkovski said that there was not a problem in relations between the two countries, which created the necessary ground for further development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in fields of economy and security.
Thanking Turkey for its support to Macedonia during the crisis in Macedonia in 2001, Trajkovski said that Turkish citizens of Macedonian origin and Macedonian citizens of Turkish origin constituted a bridge of friendship between the two countries, and he was sure that it would be the same in the future.
Trajkovski added that they believed that bilateral relations and cooperation which they considered strategic partnership would further develop on basis of mutual respect and cooperation.
(MS) 02.07.2003