Eurasia summit highlights regional, international cooperation

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

The summit brigns together politicians, statesmen, civil society representatives and religious leaders from all over the world. DAILY NEWS photo / Emrah GÜREL

16th Eurasian Summit began its panels on yesterday with keynote speaker Marmara Group Foundation President Akkan Suver highlighting regional cooperation and sustaining peace, describing Eurasia as “a human project.”

Foreign guest speakers of the ceremony included Moldovia-Gagauzia autonomous president Mihail Formuzal, Albania President Bujar Nishani, Kosovo President Jahjaga and Macedonia President Gjorge Ivanov.

The opening ceremony started off with a personal message from Turkish President Abdullah Gül voicing support for the summit, as well as welcoming the high-level foreign guests that included the former and current presidents of a wide range of countries.

Suver emphasized the high-level of representation at the summit, referencing current and former prime ministers and presidents from Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Estonia, and others. Over 39 ministers from 58 countries were attending the summit, which Suver said had been showing a steady increase in efficiency and success since its first time around over 15 years ago.

“It is important enough just in its continuity,” Suver said. “But the rising graph of its success is in itself an achievement.”

Suver highlighted the changing global systems of communication and information, as well as consciousness, with civil initiatives undergoing strong alterations.

“This is an age where civilians have the turn to speak,” Suver said.

Formuzal said the summit allowed the attendees to engage in “mutually beneficial cooperation and making efficient decisions.”

Albanian President Nishani also highlighted the opportunity to share ideas and projects, drawing attention to global threats “of which no country is immune.”

“There are no options but joint solutions,” he said.

Speakers on behalf of Turkey included Parliamentary Head Cemil Çiçek and Turkey’s Forestry Minister Veysel Eroğlu, who both stressed Turkey’s growing potential, as well as the need for regional stability for prosperity.

Eroğlu, who described the summit as “magnificent,” underlined the importance of political stability in Turkey’s strong economy, calling on all regional and international actors to strengthen relations to ensure regional prosperity.

He further mentioned a joint project of the summit which presented the participants with a planted a sapling instead of a gift bag, which aimed at growing a “Eurasia forest” in the course of the summit’s future.