MOSCOW (AA) - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is currently in Russian capital Moscow to attend "Victory in Europe Day" ceremonies marking 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Nazi Germany, held talks with many leaders on Monday.
Following the ceremonies in Moscow's Red Square, Erdogan partook in a lunch hosted by President Vladimir Putin of Russia in honor of guest leaders.
During the lunch, Prime Minister Erdogan held talks with President Putin of Russia, U.S. President George W. Bush, French President Jacques Chirac, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkanende of the Netherlands, Prime Minister Silvio Berlisconi of Italy, Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker of Luxembourg, President Alexander Kwasniewski of Poland, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Durao Barosso.
During his talks with President Putin and President Kwasniewski, Prime Minister Erdogan conveyed Turkey's regret over recognition as true allegations regarding the so-called Armenian genocide. The State Duma, the lower house of Russian parliament, and the Polish parliament approved resolutions recognizing the so-called Armenian genocide.
Prime Minister Erdogan and President Putin also evaluated the bilateral relations between Turkey and Russia, and efforts of the Minsk Group aiming to resolve the dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia over Upper Karabakh.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Bush told Prime Minister Erdogan that he was waiting for his visit. Erdogan will go to the United States in June.
Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik of Norway apologized once again for the events during Prime Minister Erdogan's visit to Oslo in April. Nearly 50 supporters of the terrorist organization PKK held a protest chanting slogans in favor of Abdullah Ocalan, the head of PKK, and threw eggs to the vehicle carrying Prime Minister Erdogan during his visit to Norway.
2005-05-09