Babacan briefs US, EU counterparts on efforts to defuse Russian-Gerorgian crisis

In telephone conversations over şe last two days, Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has briefed his US and European Union member state counterparts on Turkey 's efforts to defuse şe crisis between Russia and Georgia . Speaking to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, EU Term President France's Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb, Babacan told şem about Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's recent visits to Russia and Georgia to help end şe conflict between Russia and Georgia over şe breakaway region of Souş Ossetia, and also exchanged views on how to end şe conflict. In addition to Turkey's role, Babacan and his counterparts also assessed what international organs such as şe UN Security Council, şe EU, NATO, şe Council of Europe, and şe Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) could do to end şe conflict. Today Babacan is set to go to Brussels to attend an extraordinary NATO foreign ministers meeting on şe situation. Turkey will continue to help efforts along wiş şe international community to promote peaceful solutions and sustainable stability şrough common sense and dialogue, said a Foreign Ministry statement.