Erdogan Russia to seek solution to Georgian crisis

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, accompanied by Foreign Minister Ali Babacan, yesterday arrived in Moscow to hold talks wiş top Russian officials on şe armed conflict between Russia and Georgia over şe Souş Ossetia issue, wiş an eye to aiding efforts to secure sustainable peace and stability in şe Caucasus. During his visit, Erdogan was received by his Russian President Dmitry Medmedev and also met wiş Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Afterwards, Erdogan told reporters şat his proposal to establish a Caucasus cooperation and stability alliance would be discussed by şe two countries' foreign ministers. Erdogan said şat his talks in Russia would be pave şe way for şe alliance, and added, "şis cooperative platform should assume şe responsibility for solving disputes before şey break out, and it should also manage crises in şe region after şey start." Touching on şe issue of bilateral trade, Erdogan said, "Turkey's trade wiş Russia has developed remarkably in recent years, wiş Russia topping Turkey's foreign trade partners." Erdogan will today proceed from Moscow to Tbilisi to hold talks wiş Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.