Ankara, 31st July 2010 - “We are ready to collaborate with you” - said Nurdan Bayraktar Golder, Head of the South Caucasus department at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs when she met Rondine’s delegation yesterday morning.

The “friendship trip” carried out by the organization ‘Rondine Cittadella della Pace’ to promote the 14 points for peace in the Caucasus ended in the Turkish capital. The choice of Turkey as the last stage of the trip underlines the key role that the country has, thanks to its position and its strong multicultural nature, as a mediator in South Caucasus issues.

“The activities you are carrying out are really important, mostly in the South Caucasus” - continued Ms. Golder - “our vision coincides with yours, Turkey is actively committed to peace projects in the area” she commented when she received the Document in 14 points.

A strong support also came from local authorities, Omer Vural, Vice Mayor of Ankara, for example, said he was ready to collaborate with Rondine for the development of projects aiming at the promotion of a culture of peace and tolerance.

“Strong feelings and concrete actions have defined this trip which has improved Rondine’s credibility in the Caucasus”  - said the president of the organization, Franco Vaccari - “presenting to public opinion the Document in 14 points for peace in the Caucasus as an instrument  ready to put into practice for the promotion of dialogue and pacific coexistence”.

The “friendship trip” to the South Caucasus and Turkey started in Baku, Azerbaijan. Political, academic and religious meetings marked its intense agenda, setting the bases for the selection of the first Azeri student among the young evacuees of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The first border we crossed was that of Georgia, where Rondine reinforced its historical friendship ties with different authorities. Crossing the red line in Abkhazia with the students from both sides was the most significant result of the popular diplomacy that Rondine is promoting as an answer to conflicts.

The trip continued in Armenia, where the arrival of the first student from Yerevan to the Citadel of Peace was announced and the procedures for the selection of the first young Armenian resident in Nagorno-Karabakh were started. The last stage of the initiative was Turkey, with meetings in Istanbul and Ankara. A part from audiences with the Patriarch Bartolomeo I and the Vice Mufti, in Istanbul the delegation met the Vice Provost of the Galatasaray University, Prof. Sakir Ersoy.

On return to Italy Rondine wants to give thanks to all those who permitted the organization of the Friendship Trip. Special contributions to the project Ventidipacesucaucaso were given by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Tuscan Region, the Province of Arezzo, the Chamber of Commerce Industry Crafts Agriculture of Arezzo, Banca Etruria and the Autonomous Province of Trento and Trentino. Special thanks for its support to the National Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE).