OSCE Secretary General, Turkish Foreign Minister attend conference of Ukrainian diplomats

The participation of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier in the 11th conference of the heads of Ukraine's diplomatic missions abroad shows their openness to the Ukrainian diplomacy, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said.

"Your participation in this meeting shows your openness to Ukrainian diplomacy," the president said at a meeting with Zannier and Davutoglu in Kyiv on Tuesday.

In turn, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryschenko told journalists that the Turkish Foreign Minister was invited to the event in response to the Ukrainian minister's participation in the same meeting of Turkish diplomats.

"Turkey is interesting to us from the viewpoint of its rather difficult experience of negotiations with the European Union," Hryschenko said.

The minister also noted that in 2013 Ukraine would chair the OSCE. In connection with this, Ukrainian diplomats were especially interested in the participation of the OSCE Secretary General in the conference. In addition, according to Hryschenko, the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine will learn European experience via inviting well-known foreign politicians to meetings with Ukrainian diplomats.

Hryschenko also said that Ukraine will start chairing the OSCE on January 1, 2013, and the ceremony to start Ukraine's chairmanship will take place in Vienne on January 15, 2013.