Georgian FM visits Turkey

Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili yesterday visited Istanbul and met with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan. The two top diplomats discussed the Caucasus stability and cooperation platform proposed by Turkey. Afterwards, Babacan told a joint press conference that the platform would give countries of the Caucasus a suitable atmosphere to discuss their problems, and added, "When arms fall silent, it is time for diplomacy and political dialogue." For her part, Tkeshelashvili protested Russia unilaterally declaring the independence of two Georgian provinces last week, adding, "We will not discuss any cooperation until we see that Russia is a reliable partner."