ANKARA - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine, who came to Turkey on Monday for an official visit, was welcomed by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan with an official ceremony at Prime Ministry.
Erdogan and Yanukovych will have a tete-a-tete meeting and chair meetings between delegations.
ERDOGAN: ''I THINK THIS VISIT OF YANUKOVYCH WITHOUT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION TERRORIST INCIDENTS IN OUR COUNTRY, IS ALSO A MESSAGE TO INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL CIRCLES''
Erdogan and Ukrainian Prime Minister Yanukovych held a joint news conference. Erdogan thanked to Yanukovych for the visit.
Stating that they had the opportunity to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues during the visit, Erdogan thanked to Yanukovych for his evaluations regarding the decision of UEFA to switch matches of Turkish teams in neutral venues. Erdogan said, ''his approach that this decision would strengthen terrorism is meaningful and shows that we share the same views.''
Erdogan said, ''if we are to set up a joint platform in fight against terrorism, we should all act jointly without any exception.''
Erdogan said, ''I, of course, stressed that our friendship should improve basing on mutual confidence and cooperation. Seeing that a political will is formed also pleased me. I saw that both sides have the same will on political and economic issues.''
Erdogan said, ''trade volume between the countries was around 1.3 billion U.S. dollars at the end of 2002. Our target is to double this figure by the end of 2004.''
Erdogan said, ''we focused on problems of Crimean Tatars who played the role of bridge between the two countries. We reiterated our belief that constructive attitude of Ukrainian administration will continue increasingly.''
Erdogan said legal framework of relations of the two countries were completed to a great extend with around 90 agreements signed between the two countries.
Stating that the guest minister invited him to his country in April 2004, Erdogan said he would visit Ukraine at this date.
Erdogan said, ''I believe that we will take important steps till next April.''
UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER: ALL COUNTRIES SHOULD TAKE JOINT ACTION AGAINST TERRORISM
Yanukovych said that terrorism, which he defined as the worst thing in the world, had no race, religion and culture.
All countries should take joint action against terrorism whatever their race, religion or culture was, Yanukovych stated.
Yanukovych noted that all countries should pool their resources to fight against terrorism because it was the only way to succeed in this fight.
Underlining that Turkey and Ukraine did not have any unsolved political problems, Yanukovych said that two countries had the potential to further improve economic relations and should exert efforts without any concessions.
Yanukovych said that they agreed to exert every joint effort which would be beneficial to two countries.
Stating that an action plan should be prepared, Yanukovych hoped that the plan could be signed during Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to Ukraine.
Yanukovych stated that they supported meetings between Turkish and Ukrainian businessmen and joint concrete projects between two countries.
Two countries were in close cooperation in several international organizations, Yanukovych pointed out.
Yanukovych thanked Turkey for its support to Ukraine's integration with Europe. Recalling that following NATO meeting would be held in Istanbul, Yanukovych said that they needed Turkey's support especially in this issue.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yanukovych noted that Ukraine and Turkey were the biggest two countries in the Black Sea region and drew attention that two countries had mutual responsibilities in stability, security and environment.
They took up cooperation among Black Sea countries and Baltic Sea countries in their meeting, Yanukovych said.
Yanukovych proposed that a new transportation corridor could be made between two seas.
They touched on not only improvement of Turkish-Ukrainian relations but also many issues which could contribute to stability of the whole region in their meeting, Yanukovych stated.
Yanukovych said that Iraq's reconstruction also came onto agenda and facilities of two countries could be used in Iraq's reconstruction.
Importance attributed to cultural relations between Turkey and Ukraine was also brought onto agenda in their meeting, Yanukovych pointed out.
Yanukovych said that they agreed to make Turkish-Ukrainian relations an example for other countries, adding that they should work more to reach that aim.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yanukovych also thanked Turkey for its support to settlement of Crimean Tatars in his country.
Meanwhile, two countries signed the agreement on cooperation in environmental protection and the cooperation agreement covering years between 2004 and 2007 before the press conference.
ERDOGAN: TURKISH - UKRAINIAN RELATIONS ARE PERFECT IN EVERY FIELD
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey and Ukraine had perfect relations in every field.
Speaking in the meeting of Turkish-Ukrainian Business Council, Erdogan said that Turkey and Ukraine had close cooperation and partnership.
Erdogan noted, ''we have perfect relations and cooperation in every field, particularly in political field.''
Two countries had similar approaches to every issue, Erdogan stated.
Erdogan said that private sector undertook important duties like seizing opportunities between two countries.
''I sincerely believe that you, distinguished businessmen, will succeed in these duties. My government is determined to improve economic and commercial relations between two countries by a comprehensive action plan. Our public and private sectors have started necessary preparations to enter into a new development process in our relations with Ukraine. The future is ours,'' Erdogan added.
Erdogan said that it was of special importance for Turkey that Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych was paying a visit to Turkey in a period when some unfavorable terrorist incidents occurred.
Erdogan noted that they were pleased to see that Ukrainian government had the same will and said, ''we have launched necessary efforts to further improve economic and commercial relations.''
They prepared a comprehensive joint action plan, learning the views of representatives of public and private sectors, Erdogan stated.
Erdogan said that they gave place to cooperation in industry, trade, agriculture, transportation, energy, engineering, tourism, environment, science and technology and banking in the action plan.
Their aim in choosing Ukraine as a pilot country and preparing an action plan was to start an era of partnership and cooperation with Ukraine which could imitate countries in the vicinity, Erdogan pointed out.
Erdogan said, ''we will form a strong and unshakable unity with our economic cooperation in two sides of the Black Sea. We see Black Sea as a sea uniting us not separating us. There is a good future before us.''
Noting that there were not any problems in bilateral relations between Turkey and Ukraine, Erdogan said that two countries had a trade volume of 1.4 billion U.S. dollars.
Erdogan stated that he and his Ukrainian counterpart agreed in their meeting to double the figures between two countries by the end of 2004.
Businessmen undertook important duties to increase those figures, Erdogan said.
Erdogan noted that both Turkish and Ukrainian government should be in an effort to lift obstacles.
Companies of two countries could cooperate in reconstruction of Iraq, Erdogan emphasized.
Erdogan said that private sector also undertook important duties to make best use of opportunities between two countries.
''My government is determined to further develop economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Ukraine by a comprehensive action plan,'' Erdogan added.

(BRC) 01.12.2003