Turkey And Belarus Sign Mou On Security Cooperation

MINSK/ANKARA - Turkish Interior Minister Abdulkadir Aksu and Interior Minister Vladimir Naumov of Belarus signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on security cooperation in Minsk on Wednesday.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Aksu said that Turkey was the first country that recognized independence of Belarus, and bilateral relations head been improved in last 12 years.
Aksu said that the ''Cooperation Agreement in Fight Against International Organized Crimes, International Illicit Drug Trafficking and International Terrorism'' signed in Ankara on July 25, 1996 constituted the security dimension of bilateral relations which were at a very good level, recalling that security authorities of Turkey and Belarus had met for five times under this agreement to hold joint commission meetings.
''Within framework of this agreement, today we have discussed terrorism, illicit drug smuggling, illegal migration and white-slave trade. We have reached compromise on each issue we discussed,'' Aksu said.
Aksu added that he wished the MoU would help both Turkey and Belarus suppress illegal migration and white-slave trade.
Meanwhile, Aksu received Turkish businessmen in Belarus yesterday (Tuesday).
(MS- 28.07.2004