Turkey, Sweden and Brazil form new body

IZMIR - Hürriyet Daily News

Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoğlu (C) and his Swedish and Brazilian counterparts Bildt (R) and Patriota decide to hold regular meetings to exchange views. AA photo

Turkey, Sweden and Brazil have established the Trilateral Solidarity for Building Peace, a new consultation mechanism to seek solutions to international challenges.

Following their first meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2012, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt and Brazilian Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota met in İzmir on Jan. 5 at the Fifth Annual Ambassadors’ Conference.

Speaking at a joint press conference, Davutoğlu said although Turkey, Sweden and Brazil were not geographically close, the three countries shared similar perspectives on international policy.

Playing ‘global’ role

“Representing three countries that are committed to playing increasingly active roles in their respective regions as well as globally, the Ministers underline their desire to deepen their coordination on a range of challenges that currently test the international community,” an official statement on the Trilateral Solidarity for Building Peace reads.

Stressing that the international stage is currently characterized by a host of key changes and challenges that affect them all, the ministers drew attention to developments in the Middle East in particular, including the Arab awakening and the question of Palestine, the global economic crisis with its political ramifications and other global issues such as terrorism, poverty eradication, climate change, internet freedom and nuclear proliferation, according to the statement.

To this end, the ministers decided to hold regular consultation meetings that will bring them or their designated officials together to exchange views and harness efforts to help deliver progress on issues where their collective engagement can make a difference.

During his speech at the conference, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said there would be important developments in Europe as of 2013 and they would focus on the global strategies of Europe this year.
“1914 was a world dominated by Europe. In 2014 we will be living in a Europe dominated by the world.

My country is among those spearheading the development of a common foreign and security policy of the European Union out of recognition of this simple fact,” he said. According to Bildt, the organization would review progress this year and discuss initiatives for a new European Global Strategy taken by Italy, Spain, Poland and Sweden. They plan to hold a trilateral meeting in Brazil in June 2013.