EU-WEST BALKANS CONFERENCE

"EU-West Balkans Conference" organised by the EU President Spain and the European Commission was held in Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia Herzegovina. In the conference to which high level representatives from 47 countries attended, Turkey was represented by Egemen Bagis, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator.

Foreign Minister of EU term president Spain Miguel Angel Moratinos, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, Foreign Minister of Serbia Vuk Yeremic and Foreign Minister of Kosovo Skender Hüseni also attended the Conference, where the integration of West Balkan states with the EU was discussed and a joint decision on that issue was taken.

In the declaration released after the Conference it was stated that the EU membership perspective that was given to the West Balkans 10 years ago had a significant effect on the development and stability of the region.

The declaration called the West Balkan countries that are closely attached to the EU accession process to intensify their efforts in order to meet the criteria and obey the rules of that process and speed up their EU accession process by fulfilling the criteria in the fields of rule of law, judicial and administrative reforms and fight against corruption and organized crime.

The declaration asked the states of the region for doing their best in order to solve their bilateral problems with a "European Spirit".

In his declaration he made after the meeting Egemen Bagis said he brought the Israeli attack on Gaza aid flotilla into question at the conference to which high level representatives from 47 countries including ministers attended.

Indicating that he met with the foreign ministers of Austria, France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Luxemburg, Hungary and Bulgaria who attended the conference, Bagis said they discussed the Israeli attack and he explained them the position of Turkey regarding the issue.

Egemen Bagis said in the conference hall that he exemplified the Bosnian war and asked the developed countries for not being late for Gaza as they had been in Bosnia.

Minister Bagis continued as follows:

"The speech of Mr. Prime Minister which he delivered yesterday was a brotherhood and human rights manifesto. It was an uprising against the ones who want to divide the world between the good and the bad. If the world would be divided between the good and the bad, Turkey will always be among the good. One day some people would play "three monkeys" to the ones who play three monkeys"

Source: AA