Babacan: Cyprus Issue Topped Agenda Of Almost Each Of Our Meetings In United States

ISTANBUL - Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan has said that the Cyprus issue had topped the agenda of each of his meetings in the United States.
''After the referendums, government officials stated on every occasion and in every platform that they were quite pleased with this extraordinary performance of Turkey and with the steps it took towards constructive solution and that they appreciated Turkey's efforts,'' he said.
Babacan held a news conference at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport after he returned from the United States.
''We especially observed that officials from Europe, America and Asia whom we met in the United States closely followed the solution process in Cyprus and the referendums,'' he said.
Nobody could ignore the initiatives, intense efforts and determined stance of Turkey, Turkish government, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister towards solution in Cyprus, Babacan said and added that at the end of referendums, both government officials, their minister counterparts from other countries and officials of international organizations stressed on every occasion and in every platform that they were quite pleased with extraordinary performance of Turkey and the steps it had taken towards a constructive solution and they appreciated Turkey's efforts.
Noting that they had had an intense program in Washington and New York, Babacan said that they had attended IMF-World Bank spring meetings and met with U.S. government officials.
Stating that they had had opportunity of meeting ministers from many countries during general meetings, Babacan said that Japanese, Austrian, Belgian ministers and they had evaluated both Turkey's economy and global economy.
Noting that they had held intense and separate meetings with IMF and World Bank presidents and high-level officials, Babacan said that they had held meetings also with officials from a number of finance organizations, rating organizations and investors.
Babacan said that they had had the opportunity of informing officials of those leading organizations in the world on the latest developments regarding the Turkish economy.
(MS-AY) 28.04.2004