UAE offical pledges more investment in Turkey

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan yesterday met with his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart Sheikh Abdallah Bin Zayid Al Nahyan. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Nahayan said that the UAE is an oil-rich country and will make more investments in this sector in Turkey. Stressing that Turkey has a role to play in the region in supporting and encouraging moderate-leaning countries, Nahayan added, "We expect Turkey will continue to play a key role in important issues in the region." Asked by reporters about Turkish officials' contacts last week with officials from northern Iraq, Babacan said that Turkey's close dialogue with both the central Iraqi government and local northern Iraqi administration will continue in areas such as energy and the fight against terrorism. "The level and frequency of the dialogue will depend in large part on the Iraqi side taking concrete measures against terrorism," he added. "I reiterate that Turkey wants peace and stability in the region."