Foreign Minister Davutoğlu to visit Finland

ANKARA

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. AA Photo

With handover of the EU term presidency from Greek Cyprus to Ireland approaching, the Turkish government’s appetite for holding talks in EU capitals seems to have been refreshed.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is scheduled to pay a one-day visit to Finland on Dec. 19, during which he will hold talks on bilateral relations with Finland as well as a joint initiative on Mediation for Peace launched under the auspices of the U.N., Turkey’s EU negotiation process and the Cyprus issue.

Davutoğlu’s visit comes days after EU Minister Egemen Bağış paid an official visit to Dublin, which will take over the rotating presidency of the EU as of Jan. 1.

In addition to his counterpart, Erkki Tuomioja, Davutoğlu will also hold talks with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen and European Affairs Minister Alexander Stubb.

“It is considered that this visit will constitute an important opportunity for further enhancement and strengthening of relations between the Republic of Turkey and Finland,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Dec. 18 in a statement announcing the visit.

While in Finland Davutoğlu will hold a conference titled “Turkey’s current role in peace building in the context of recent developments, and its reflections in Europe” at the Paasikivi Society.

Turkey and Finland launched a mediation initiative in 2010. It then became a U.N. initiative after a resolution was approved in the U.N. General Assembly in 2011.