Labor And Social Security Minister Basesgioglu Leaves For Azerbaijan

ISTANBUL - Turkish Labor and Social Security Minister Murat Basesgioglu left on Wednesday for Azerbaijani capital Baku on an official visit.
Speaking to reporters at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, Basesgioglu said that he would hold meetings on issues concerning labor ministries of the two countries.
Recalling that cooperation agreement was signed between ministries of the two countries in 1997 and Social Security Agreement which was signed later went into effect in 2001, he said that international cooperation, employment, social security and exchange of experts between Turkey and Azerbaijan would be discussed in the meeting of joint permanent commission between ministries in Baku.
Basesgioglu said that they would also sign administrative agreement regulating implementation and provisions of Social Security Agreement during his visit to Baku.
Basesgioglu stated that he would also be received by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister and National Assembly Chairman.
Replying to a question on non-participation of Azerbaijani parliamentarians in the voting on Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) held in the Council of European Parliamentary Assembly (COEPA) last week, Basesgioglu said, ''Turkey and Azerbaijan are two friendly countries. National issues of the two countries have been followed and defended together on international platform. We wish that Azerbaijani parliamentarians had cast their votes and expressed their views supporting Turkish thesis. I have just learnt that they established a connection between Upper Karabakh issue and Cyprus issue. The two countries will discuss it in detail. It is obvious that there is need for a better communication and coordination from now on. Despite all those things, I think that there should not be any situation which might harm friendship between the two countries. However, we have defended Azerbaijan's national causes with sensitivity on international platform so far. I hope that we will be given value for it in coming days. I hope that both countries will act together in defending their joint national causes.''
Replying to a question on unemployment, he said that Turkish government attached great importance to unemployment issue and noted that unemployment rate would reduce to 6-7 percent in 2010.
(EÖ-AÖ) 05.05.2004