In his video message to the participants of the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he could not take part in the event due to preparation for elections to local authorities in the country.
President Erdogan, touching on the Russian-Ukrainian war, said: “We are ready to restore the negotiations that previously took place in Istanbul to achieve peace.”
Having expressed satisfaction with the opportunity to speak to the participants of the summit, the head of the Turkish state emphasized the support of Turkey of independence, sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
According to him, Turkey makes every effort to protect the rights and interests of the Crimean Tatar people. He expressed his readiness to contribute to the speedy restoration and reconstruction of Ukraine.
“We entered the third year of the war and, despite all our efforts, did not reach sufficient progress in establishing peace. I still have an opinion that diplomacy and dialogue should get a chance to end the war with a fair and strong world,” said Erdogan.
The President to achieve this goal noted the extreme importance of the maximum use of all diplomatic channels.
“At least, I consider it necessary to start joint work to determine the general parameters of the world. In this regard, we fundamentally support the peace plan of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky of 10 points,” the president emphasized.
President Erdogan recalled that Turkey also took on a leading role as part of a plan dedicated to food security.
Having emphasized his conviction that for the success of peaceful initiatives it is necessary to combine the efforts of both parties, Erdogan said: “The Black Sea initiative, which was created thanks to our efforts and played a crucial role in its implementation, remains in our agenda.”
He emphasized the need to create an agreement to ensure the safety of shipping of commercial vessels in the Black Sea. And he added that in this context, in cooperation with the United Nations (UN) organization, contacts are continuing to develop a new regulation, which will include security obligations in the Black Sea.
“On the other hand, we are ready to restore the negotiation process, which previously took place in Istanbul. On this occasion, I want to wish that the spirit of solidarity that revived in our general geography in the Balkans, thanks to the process of cooperation between the countries of southeastern Europe , spread to our neighboring geography, ”added President Erdogan.
The president in conclusion of his message expressed gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the organization of the summit, especially the Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama.