Lebedev: Turkey And Russia Have Common Interests In Region

ANKARA (A.A) - 16.04.2002 - Alexander Lebedev, the Russian Ambassador to Russia, said on Tuesday that Turkey and Russia had common interests in the region.
The third conference of ambassadors in Ankara was held by Foreign Ministry Strategic Researches Center.
Speaking at the conference, Lebedev said that economic and political relations between Turkey and Russia should be further improved.
Responding to questions of the participants, Lebedev touched on Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project, Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, Caucasus and Cyprus question.
Lebedev said that Russia did not have serious objections to Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project and did not put forth any obstacles. Baku-Ceyhan pipeline was one of the alternatives, he noted.
His country had often had contacts with Turkish officials regarding Cyprus question, Lebedev pointed out.
Lebedev said that Russia continued to make shuttle diplomacy in order to find a solution to the question.
An emergency solution was needed in Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, Lebedev noted and said that Russia was ready to be a mediator between the two countries.
Lebedev drew the attention that a worse situation in the Caucasus due to Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a probable operation on Iraq would be a disaster for Turkey and Russia.