Turkey And Azerbaijan To Improve Both Bilateral And Multi-lateral Activities To Fight Against New Global Threats

ANKARA - Turkey and Azerbaijan have emphasized that they would further improve both bilateral and multi-lateral activities to fight against new global threats and jepoardies in the world.
A joint statement was released following the meeting between Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on Tuesday.
The joint statement noted, ''the sides have decided to further improve both bilateral and multi-lateral activities in order to fight against new global threats and jeopardies in the world such as international terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, cross-border organized crimes, human smuggling and illegal weapon smuggling. Turkey and Azerbaijan are determined to exert efforts to provide security in southern Caucasus, to resolve the problems, and to provide a sustainable development in the region.''
Expressing the Turkish side's pleasure with Azerbaijan's will to improve its relations with NATO, the joint statement noted that the Turkey would provide Azerbaijan with the maximum assistance about Alliance's supporting Azerbaijan's efforts.
Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani side said that they would support Turkey's candidate for the position of secretary general of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).
Expressing their mutual satisfaction with the current level of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline project, the sides reiterated that export of Caspian oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline would make a valuable contribution to economic development and stability of the regional countries.
The sides corroborated their intention about transportation of Kazakh oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline.
They highlighted importance of Europe-Caucasus-Asia Transportation Corridor Project in regard to economic development and prosperity of the region.
Expressing their satisfaction with the current increase in bilateral trade volume, the sides stressed that they were determined to rise the trade volume up to 1 billion U.S. dollars in the medium-term.
The sides emphasized that the Long-Term Economic Co-operation Agreement would accelerate bilateral economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan.
The sides also expressed their pleasure with close co-operation between Turkish and Azerbaijani armed forces and police units.
They underlined that mutual high-level visits would contribute to efforts to further improve the bilateral relations.
The joint statement added that President Sezer had responded President Aliyev's invitation to Azerbaijan in the affirmative.
(UK) 13.04.2004