ANKARA - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili would have meetings in Turkish capital Ankara and commercial hub Istanbul during his three-day visit to Turkey, starting as of Thursday, sources said on Wednesday.
An official welcome ceremony will be held at the Presidential Palace for Saakashvili, who will pay a visit to Turkey as the guest of Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, on Thursday.
Sezer and Saakashvili will hold a joint press conference following their tete-a-tete meeting and meetings between Turkish and Georgian delegations.
Saakashvili, who is expected to have meetings at Turkish parliament, will attend dinner hosted in his honor by Sezer.
On the second day of his visit to Turkey, Saakashvili will receive Turkish Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and then proceed from Ankara to Istanbul.
Exact date of Saakashvili's visit to Turkey could not be set due to escalating tension between Georgia and Adzharia.
Gul, who spoke to Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania by phone after settlement of the tension without occurrence of any unpleasant incidents, expressed Turkey's pleasure with the positive developments.
Gul and Zhvania had touched on the visit Saakashvili wanted to pay to Turkey in this phone talk.
(BRC) 19.05.2004