ANKARA - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul will pay an official visit to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania between September 8th and 13th, his Office said on Tuesday.
A statement of the Ministry said that Gul would be the guest of his Estonian counterpart Kristiina Ojuland, Latvian counterpart Artis Pabriks and Lithuanian counterpart Antanas Valionis.
The statement said that Gul would meet Ojuland, Estonian-Turkish Interparliamentary Friendship Group Chairman Eldar Efendiyev, and be received by President Arnold Ruutel and Prime Minister Juhan Parts during his visit to Estonia, the first leg of his tour to Baltic countries, between September 8th and 9th.
Gul would also visit Tallinn University's Center for Eastern Languages where Turkish language was also taught, the statement noted.
The Ministry, in its statement, said that Gul would proceed to Latvia, where he would meet his Latvian counterpart Pabriks, and be received by President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Deputy Parliament Speaker Andris Argalis between September 10th and 11th.
The statement pointed out that Gul would meet Latvian-Turkish Interparliamentary Friendship Group Chairman Dainis Turlais at a luncheon, and attend inauguration of Turkey's Honorary Consulate General in Riga.
Gul would hold meetings in Lithuania, the last leg of his tour to Baltic countries, between September 11th and 13th, the statement said.
In its statement, the Ministry said that Gul would meet his Lithuanian counterpart Valionis, and be received by President Valdas Adamkus and Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas.
The statement noted that Gul would visit a factory operating with Turkish capital in Lithuania.
Gul would attend the Fifth North-South Europe Economic Forum to be held jointly by Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Board (DEIK) and German organization INEA in Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, and deliver a speech on ''Turkey-EU relations'', the statement said.
The statement added, ''Gul is expected to exchange views about our bilateral relations with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as important international developments during his visit to these countries. Gul will also express our views on Turkey's EU membership process during his tour to these countries, which joined the Union on May 1st, 2004.''
(BRC-ULG) 07.09.2004