BUCHAREST - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Friday with representatives of associations of kinsmen in Romanian capital Bucharest.
In the meeting, Erdogan said that ideologies had ended in the world and noted, ''neither ethnic nor religious ideologies are lasting in the world.''
Recalling that three were three deputies with Turkish origin at the Romanian parliament, Erdogan asked kinsmen in Romania to protect their values and to contribute to Romania's development.
Erdogan added that existence of Turkish kinsmen in Romania was important for strong, firm and lasting relations between the two countries.
Erdogan, who went to Romania earlier in the day, was welcomed by an official ceremony by Romanian Prime Minister Adrian Nastase.
Turkish and Romanian prime ministers held a tete-a-tete meeting and then presided meetings between the delegations.
Erdogan and Nastase later held a joint press conference.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan said that relations between Turkey and Romania would reach the future in a very different way after Turkey started accession talks with the EU.
In the press conference Romanian Prime Minister Nastase said that Romania would extend necessary support to Turkey's EU membership.
Erdogan was then received by Romanian President Ion Iliescu.
Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan and Nastase later attended the meeting of Turkish-Romanian Business Council and addressed businessmen of the two countries in Romanian capital Bucharest. Turkey and Romania could lay energy line beneath the sea, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said in the meeting.
Nastase, in his part, called on Turkish businessmen to invest in Romania and expressed belief that Turkish investments would increase after Thursday's meetings.
Earlier on Friday, Erdogan met with President of Romanian Chamber of Deputies Valer Dorneanu and President of Romanian Senate Nicolae Vacaroiu.
(BRC-AÖ) 21.05.2004