TURKEY, RUSSIA TO DISCUSS CAUCASUS BLOC

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will meet his Russian counterpart next month to discuss creating an alliance of Caucasus countries that would include Georgia and Russia, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday. NATO-member Turkey has been alarmed by the conflict in neighboring Georgia, where Russian and Georgian troops went to war over control of the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan has proposed the so-called Stability and Cooperation Platform, which would comprise Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The bloc, which is still in its infancy, would deal with bilateral and security issues. Turkish and Russian foreign ministry officials will meet next week to prepare the ground for the talks between Babacan and Russia's Sergei Lavrov, the spokesman told . Turkey, which aspires to join the European Union and is a key U.S. strategic ally in the region, is an energy hub for Caspian and Central Asian energy exports for Western export. In recent years, Turkey has reached out beyond its traditional western partners and has strengthened diplomatic and commercial ties with Central Asia, Russia, Iran and Arab countries.
Reuters

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TURKEY, RUSSIA TO DISCUSS CAUCASUS BLOC
Reuters
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan will meet his Russian counterpart next month to discuss creating an alliance of Caucasus countries that would include Georgia and Russia, a foreign ministry spokesman ...