ID :
219523
Sat, 12/17/2011 - 09:50
Auther :

Turkey vows to boost diplomatic ties with Africa

ISTANBUL (A.A) - Turkey is set to open at least six more embassies in African countries in a bid to forge closer ties with the continent, Turkish foreign minister has said. "We have currently 27 embassies operating actively in Africa and we will bring that number up to 33 by the first quarter of 2012," Ahmet Davutoglu told a gala dinner after the Turkey-Africa Partnership Ministerial Review Conference in Istanbul. Davutoglu said Turkey had taken a strategic decision to launch an "African policy initiative" in 2005, adding that the Turkish initiative had achieved significant progress in relations. "Our experiences with our African brothers and sisters within the past six years have shown the aptness of our strategic decision and defied criticisms of shift of axis in our foreign policy directions," Davutoglu said. Following the gala dinner, Davutoglu met separately with Togolese Foreign Minister Elliot Ohin and foreign minister of the Central African Republic, Antoine Gambi.   

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