EU's Counterpart In Black Sea Region Should Be BSEC, Babacan

KIEV - Turkey`s Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Thursday that the European Union`s (EU) counterpart in the Black Sea region should be the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).
Attending the 18th BSEC Foreign Ministers Council meeting in Kiev, Ukraine, Babacan said that "members of the BSEC have a chance to get together from time to time and discuss joint problems regarding their common future".
"The BSEC has an important role to play in relations with the EU. It is Turkey`s wish to see that the EU`s counterpart in the Black Sea region be the BSEC. The first EU and BSEC foreign ministers meeting took place in Kiev in February. We have begun working on solid projects following this meeting," Babacan indicated.
"There are common projects between the EU and BSEC on transportation, communications and energy. There are also schemes on the security and defense of countries bordering the Black Sea," Babacan said.
"We hope that the defense ministers and chiefs of general staff of Black Sea countries will come together from time to time to discuss issues pertaining to the region," Babacan stressed.
Earlier on Thursday, Babacan met his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Ohryzko.
(SOL-ULG)