Turkish President Abdullah Gul joined the leaders of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine for an energy meeting three months after Russia dropped bombs close to a crucial pipeline through the Caucasus state of Georgia in a brief war the AFP reported.
Amid renewed criticism of Russia by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Gul steered clear of inflammatory rhetoric towards Turkey’s historical rival Moscow.
However, Gul emphasised NATO member Turkey’s desire for a greater diplomatic role in the region, after his government earlier proposed a new forum for cooperation in the South Caucasus.
“The crisis which broke out last August in Georgia confirmed that unsolved conflicts in the region constitute a major threat from the perspective of security and stability,” he said.