Ukrainian president holds talks in Ankara

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko yesterday arrived in Ankara as the official guest of his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul. Yushchenko first met with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Prime Ministry, with Energy Minister Hilmi Guler also in attendance. The gathering addressed problems in transporting Russian natural gas to Turkey via Ukraine. Afterwards, Yushchenko met with Parliament Speaker Koksal Toptan, and then was received by Gul at the Cankaya Palace. At a joint press conference, Gul said Turkey supports NATO offering membership to Ukraine. For his part, Yushchenko suggested cooperation on space research.