Latvia and Lithuania support Turkey's EU membership process

Turkish President Abdullah Gul said that both Latvia and Lithuania extended an obvious and sincere support to Turkey's EU membership process. Before departing for Latvia on Monday, Gul told reporters that he would pay formal visits to Latvia and Lithuania as the guest of presidents of these countries. Regional and international issues as well as EU issue will be discussed during the meetings, said Gul, recalling that Lithuania would undertake EU presidency three months later, and Latvia would be EU president in 2015. Turkey has relations with these two countries since 1920s, and they are our NATO allies and partners in EU, said Gul. Gul noted that after completing his talks in Latvia, he would proceed to Lithuania on April 3. Main target of my visit is to further develop economic and commercial relations with Latvia and Lithuania, said Gul. Turkey's bilateral trade volume with Latvia increased 150 percent, while it rose 100 percent with Lithuania since 2009, said Gul. Gul added that Turkish Airlines (THY) had been holding ten direct flights weekly between Istanbul and Riga since 2006, and said that THY was planning to begin flights to Vilnius in June.