Turkey's Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and his Swiss counterpart Micheline Calmy-Rey put their signatures under an annex to a memorandum of understanding, signed in the Swiss capital in 2001 that envisaged establishment of a political consultation mechanism between Turkish and Swiss foreign ministries.

During the signature ceremony, Babacan said that two countries were broadening the mechanism of dialogue.

"From now on, we will meet more often to discuss several issues like energy, migration, fight against terrorism, consulate affairs, culture and tourism," he also said.

In their tete-a-tete meeting, Babacan briefed Calmy-Rey on the terrorists whom Turkey wanted to be extradited from Switzerland and asked for support.

Babacan expressed Turkey's concerns over insufficient cooperation between the two countries in countering terrorism.

"Under which name it operates, PKK is a terrorist organization," Babacan told his Swiss counterpart.

In return, Calmy-Rey said that Switzerland did not have a black list but this did not mean that her country was weak in fight against terrorism, and condemned all types of terrorism.

Calmy-Rey said that her country was not one embracing terrorism, and proposed to set up a regular dialogue between the two countries, send experts to Turkey, and establish a firmer cooperation between Turkish and Swiss justice ministries.

Also, the Swiss minister briefed Babacan on Trans Adriatic pipeline projects, and said that Switzerland wanted to cooperate with Turkey as a transit country.

Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is a proposed natural gas pipeline project to transport natural gas from Greece via Albania to Italy.

The two ministers also debated the Nabucco project and economic relations, and agreed to improve interparliamentary relations and set up a friendship group at the two parliaments.

The Nabucco pipeline is a planned natural gas pipeline that will transport natural gas from Turkey to Austria, via Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary. It will run from Erzurum in Turkey to Baumgarten an der March, a major natural gas hub in Austria. This pipeline is a diversion from the current methods of importing natural gas solely from Russia. The project is backed by the European Union and the United States.

Also, diplomats said that Turkey would be the honorary guest of a book fair in Geneva in 2009.

AA