Gonul Receives Romanian Defense Minister Melescanu

ANKARA - Turkish Minister of National Defense Vecdi Gonul received his Romanian counterpart Teodor Melescanu in Ankara on Tuesday.
Gonul welcomed Melescanu at the National Defense Ministry with a military ceremony.
"We are pleased to welcome a defense minister from Romania after many years," Gonul said.
"The trade volume between Turkey and Romania will reach six billion USD in 2007. Melescanu's current visit to Ankara will promote our relations," Gonul remarked.
"Romania is a NATO and EU member and portrays good neighborly relations in the Black Sea region," Gonul noted.
Meanwhile, Melescanu said Turkish Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Romania recently. "There are warm practical and political relations between our countries," Melescanu noted.
Melescanu stressed that his current visit to Ankara will contribute to development of relations among defense companies of both countries.
"Romania strongly supports Turkey's membership in the European Union," Melescanu underlined.
"Our talks in Ankara provided an opportunity to discuss topics that will be on the agenda at the NATO summit to take place in Bucharest in April, 2008," Melescanu added.