Secretary General Kokk said that Turkey’s primary challenges are related to building up rule of law to ensure democracy and the functioning of the economy, which are essential prerequisites for joining the European Union. Secretary General Kokk confirmed that Estonia is prepared to share its accession experiences with Turkey. Secretary General Kokk also said that the parties involved should be actively working on resolving the Cyprus problem. “We feel that it is necessary to successfully conclude the Cyprus dialogue and resolve the island’s problems under UN auspices. This is vital for the people of Cyprus as well as Turkey and the European Union in general,” emphasised Kokk.

During their meeting, the secretaries general also addressed the situation in the Western Balkans. “Estonia firmly supports the European Union prospects of the Western Balkan countries, as they offer the region an opportunity for stability and socio-economic growth,” said Kokk. They also spent some time discussing matters related to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Recently Turkey has been active in trying to find common elements among the political communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The inability of the communities to agree on the political future and further reforms for the nation has created a tense situation which demands the focused attention of the international community,” Kokk noted.

Also under discussion at the meeting were matters related to the Southern Caucasus. “We should use all opportunities to gradually reach a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” said Kokk, adding that Estonia welcomes the regular meetings between the Armenian and Turkish presidents and between Azerbaijan and Armenia and supports the continuation of dialogue.

The snow and sun brought together around a thousand skiing fans from all over Turkey, as well as foreign diplomats from Ankara and Istanbul. The guests of honour skiing the course were Secretary General of the Estonian Foreign Ministry Marten Kokk and Secretary General of the Finnish Foreign Ministry Pertti Torstila.

The skiing was followed by an open-air reception dedicated to the 92nd anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.

The Estonian Embassy in Ankara would like to thank all of its partners, especially the governor of Bolu and the mayor, without whom this year’s ski festival would not have been possible.