BELARUSIAN AMBASSADOR JOINS THE MARMARA FOUNDATION MEETING     In the picture above (left to right): (Ret.) General Necdet Timur, the Belarusian Ambassador, Natalia Zhylevich, and the President of the Marmara Group Foundation, Dr. Akkan Suver.     The Belarusian Ambassador to Ankara, Mrs. Natalia Zhylevich, joined the Marmara Foundation Academic Council Meeting on February 26, 2007 at Plaza Hotel in İstanbul. During the meeting, Mrs. Zhylevich made a detailed assessment of the Turkish-Belarusian relations. At the very start of her speech, Mrs. Ambassador underlined that Turkey was the first country that recognized the independence of Belarus in 1992, and the first country which opened an embassy in the Belarusian capital, Minsk in 1993. Mrs. Zhylevich also commented on the current economic relations and prospects. Zhylevich said that the volume of trade between two countries was only $37 million three years ago, whereas the volume has jumped to $150 million as of 2006. Mrs. Ambassador also underlined that this improvement was largely thanks to Turkey’s activeness in bilateral relations. In her concluding remarks, the Ambassador said that she felt at home during her mission to Turkey. After the Ambassador’s speech, the President of the Marmara Group Foundation, Dr. Akkan Suver, granted a certificate of gratitude to the Belarusian Ambassador.