16th Eurasian Summit kicks off in Istanbul

Bringing together politicians, statesmen, civil society representatives and religious leaders from all over the world, the 16th Eurasian Summit began its panels yesterday. Speaking at the summit, Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek said that Eurasia would become the center of attraction again. Stating that Eurasia offers great cooperation opportunities in such fields as politics, economy and trade, Cicek said that the gross national product of Eurasia amounted to over $400 million on an area of 25 million square meters. For his part, Minister of Forestry and Water Affairs Veysel Eroglu stressed Turkey's growing potential, as well as the need for regional stability for prosperity. Also speaking at the summit, Kosovo President Atifete Jahjaga said that Western Balkan countries needed a transformation in their social and economic structures. Stating that cooperation was necessary to access the third markets in European countries, Jahjaga noted that regional cooperation establishes a basis for common development.  During the forum, Moldovia-Gagauzia autonomous president Mihail Formuzal also underlined the importance of multilateral cooperation in a changing and developing world.