WASHINGTON - Deputy Chief of General Staff Gen. Ilker Basbug attended on Tuesday the 18th high-level joint defense group meeting in Washington.
Co-Chairperson and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Mira Ricardel also attended the meetings which were held in Williamsburg near Washington.
The meetings were formed within defense and economic cooperation agreement which had been signed between Turkey and the United States in 1980. This activity is repeated every year and it gives the opportunity to Turkish and American civil and military authorities to discuss bilateral and multilateral regional security issues and other defense cooperation issues.
Cooperation with NATO, international cooperation in fight against terrorism, efforts to support peace and stability in Balkans, Mediterranean, Caucasia, Central Asia and Middle East, regional evaluation of sides with their own point of view, defense and education cooperation of two countries and supporting Turkish defense industry are the main agenda items of the meetings.
Gen. Basbug will meet with General Peter Pace, U.S. Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage and Deputy National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley within his contacts that will continue until Thursday.
Gen. Basbug will also attend a meeting to be held by American-Turkish Council (ATC).
(GC-AY) 18.11.2003