Eurasia

A total of four bids have been submitted for the privatization of a 100 percent stake in the state-run Turkish Petroleum (TP) Fuel Distribution company, Reuters has reported. 

Despite the loss of confidence among some Italian companies due to political turmoil in the country, Turkey remains an attractive market for Italy, according to the head of the Italian Trade Agency. The fundamentals of the Turkish economy are good, says Piergiorgio Borgorelli, adding they will continue their promotional investment despite Moody's recent downgrade.

The number of foreigners visiting Turkey fell 37.96 percent year-on-year to 3.1 million in August from 5.1 million a year earlier, with dramatic declines in arrivals from Western countries, Asian nations and Russia, temporary data from the Tourism Ministry showed on Sept. 29. 

Bulgarian Economy Minister Bozhidar Lukarski will head a delegation sent to Azerbaijan as part of a bilateral committee that will have a session on September 29-30, the government says.

The Fourth session of the Bulgarian-Azerbaijani intergovernmental committee on economic cooperation will be presided by Lukarski and Azerbaijan's Transport Minister Ziya Mamedov.

Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic on Wednesday received Ambassador of Kazakhstan Nurbach Rustemov.

The diplomat "handed to him invitations from Kazakhstan's president and PM to visit the country," Tanjug is reporting.

Interior Minister Stefanovic says he will ask why a representative of the OSCE "grossly interfered in the internal affairs of Serbia."

Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Işık has called for further enhancement of defense ties between Turkey and Azerbaijan, speaking to reporters in Baku after a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Zahir Hasanov.

Russia's "information campaigns in the Balkans" are part of its "strategy to create a perception of Russia as a great power and powerful ally."

There, is, however "little substance behind it in investments or donations to the nations involved," writes the Washington Post.

Relations between countries come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from unmitigated enmity to total cordiality. But the strong historical friendship and the deep cultural and religious ties between Greece and Georgia put our bilateral relations in the league of their own.

Kyrgyzstan's President Almazbek Atambayev took ill due to "potential problems" in Istanbul on Sept. 19 while en route to New York, where he was due to attend the United Nations General Assembly session, triggering the cancellation of his trip.