NEW EUROPE IS POSSIBLE WITH TURKEY

Paying an official visit to Lithuania, Minister for EU Affairs and the Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said: “New Europe is only possible with Turkey”. 

Meeting with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lithuania in Vilnius, Bagis stated that they discussed the relations between Turkey and EU, along with the relations between Turkey and Lithuania.

Bagis thanked Minister Azubalis for his article in which he expressed the importance of Turkey’s EU membership. Bagis also requested from them to respond to the visa implementation for Turkey. Referring to the Lithuania’s success at basketball as well, Bagis said: “It is time for Turkey to play in Europe’s ‘all star’ team”. Stating that he expected a more reasonable approach regarding the future of Europe during Lithuania’s presidency, Bagis said: “New Europe is only possible with Turkey.”

Meeting also with Andrius Kubilius, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, within the framework of Vilnius programme, Bagis stated that they discussed Turkey’s EU accession process. Prime Minister Kubilius stated that their support for Turkey’s EU membership would continue.

Paying visits to the Parliament of Lithuania, Bagis had meeting with President of Lithuanian Parliament Irena Degutiene, Vice-President of Lithuanian Parliament’s EU Affairs Committee Petras Austrevicius, Vice President of Lithuanian Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Prof. Justinas Karosas, and the members of Turkey and Lithuania Inter Parliamentary Friendship Union.

Bagis also delivered a conference at the Lithuanian Parliament’s European Information Office.

Mentioning the reforms in Turkey in his speech, Bagis said the reform process of Turkey was going on faster than ever and thanks to these reforms Turkey had become more democratic, more prosperous, more transparent, and more self-confident.

Indicating that some leaders were using Turkey’s EU process for their domestic policies, Bagis stated this might block Turkey’s membership in the near future, but in the long term these blockages would be destroyed.

After the reception organized for the “Snow Meeting”, Bagis had meetings with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Edgars Rinkevics, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Carl Bildt separately. Bagis said that they had discussed some issues such as bilateral relations, security and the negotiations between Turkey and the EU.

Source:AA