Diplomatic Diary: Turkey's Gul makes landmark visit to Japan

03/06/2008

Turkey's Abdullah Gul will participate in Japanese economic forums this week. Also in diplomatic news: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was in Sarajevo, and UN General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim voiced support for Albania's focus on nuclear power.

Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrived in Japan on Tuesday (June 3rd). [Getty Images]

Abdullah Gul arrived on Tuesday (June 3rd) in Japan for the first-ever official visit to that country by a Turkish president. He will meet Emperor Akihito, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and parliament members. Gul will also participate in Tokyo and Osaka economic forums.

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Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip arrived on Sunday (June 1st) for a four-day visit to Macedonia. His delegation includes representatives of 15 Estonian IT companies.

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Cypriot Parliament Speaker Marios Karoyan arrived on Monday (June 2nd) in Portugal for a three-day visit. Karoyan will meet President Anibal Cavaco Silva and parliament members.

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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, in Sarajevo on Monday (June 2nd), met with Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Prime Minister Nikola Spiric, members of the tripartite presidency and Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik. Fico and Spiric signed an agreement on foreign investments and economic co-operation.

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Albania's focus on nuclear power won support Thursday (May 29th) from UN General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim in Tirana. Kerim met with President Bamir Topi, Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli and Prime Minister Sali Berisha.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina Defence Minister Selmo Cikotic and his Montenegrin counterpart, Boro Vucinic, met on Friday (May 30th) in Sarajevo to discuss co-operation on implementing the Individual Action Plan for Partnership (IPAP) and Intensive Dialogue programme in their respective NATO membership bids.

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National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) Chairman Jia Qinglin met with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Parliament Speaker Luka Bebic on Wednesday (May 28th) in Zagreb. Jia and Sanader hope to improve political dialogue and co-operation in trade, culture, science, and tourism.

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Turkey's EU prospects and the progress of EU accession talks were the main topics Wednesday (May 28th) when Turkish Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan met with Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu and lower house Speaker Bogdan Olteanu in Bucharest. They expressed firm support for Turkey's EU bid.

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Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Gordan Jandrokovic arrived in Tirana on Monday (June 2nd) to discuss NATO and EU prospects. Albanian Integration Minister Majlinda Bregu discussed his country's Stablization and Association Process with the EU. They also discussed bilateral visa liberalisation.

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Greece will support an advanced co-operation agreement between the EU and Moldova, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis assured visiting Moldovan counterpart Zinaida Grecianii on Monday (June 2nd). Karamanlis reiterated his support for Moldova's EU integration and its efforts to settle the Trans-Dniester issue.

(Various sources 27/05/08-03/06/08)