FM Davutoglu visits Georgia

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu met yesterday with his Georgian counterpart, Grigol Vashadze, as part of an official visit to Tbilisi. Main topics of their meeting included Turkish-Georgian relations, as well as recent regional and global developments, and the restoration of historical and cultural remains in both countries. "Soon our citizens will be able to go through the Turkish-Georgian border with just their ID cards rather than passports," Davutoglu told a joint press conference with Vashadze after their meeting. "We have agreed to initiate the necessary work towards this end. We have also agreed to finalize the construction of the Muratli, Camili and Aktas border crossings between our countries." He added, "We will take tangible steps to protect out common cultural heritage, since we consider this a significant area of cooperation. We will carry our restoration of historical monuments, churches and mosques in Turkey, in Batumi and in the Adjara Autonomous Region." After the news conference, Davutoglu was received by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili and Parliament Speaker David Bakradze. He told reporters before leaving Tbilisi that Georgian officials will soon release the Turkish-flagged ship Afrosak. "I told President Saakashvili and Foreign Minister Vashadze about problems faced by Turkish businessmen operating in Georgia. They pledged to do their utmost to resolve those problems," he added.