Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Babacan will travel to Ukraine tomorrow (13 February 2008) to take part in the “Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union and of the Countries of the Black Sea Area” to be held in Kiev on 14 February 2008. Minister Babacan will also participate in the Special Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), which will take place the same day in Kiev.

The meeting to be attended by Foreign Ministers of the BSEC and the European Union countries is of special importance as it will be the first meeting at Ministerial level to initiate cooperation between the Black Sea region and Europe.

Turkey believes that the BSEC is the most appropriate forum for concrete cooperation between Europe and the Black Sea region. Turkey considers that the interaction and cooperation between “European Union – Black Sea Region” will in time turn into BSEC – EU institutional cooperation. In this regard, Turkey believes that the EU will accept the BSEC to be the principal partner for cooperation in the Black Sea region, as it is the only organization with the necessary structure, encompassing all the countries in the wider Black Sea region and bringing them together in regular meetings.