2013 MEETING OF LEONARDO DA VINCI VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS

Delivering a speech at the 2013 Kick-Off Meeting of Leonardo Da Vinci Vocational Education and Training Partnership Projects organized in Istanbul, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said “With these projects, Turkey presents the increase in the quality of vocational education and training and its determination in achieving the EU standards.”

Stating that the 10th anniversary of Turkish National Agency was celebrated with an event to which Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated, declared “We have seen together the efforts of Turkish National Agency which has a great share in the struggle of Turkey both in democratization and in development. Easier said than done, 350.000 Turkish citizens went to Europe for education.”

Bagis stating that he wanted to share good news, said:

“As you know, EU Member States and potentially candidate countries benefit from these kinds of projects. There are funds allocated for each. Turkey receives a share of approximately 100 million euros yearly from these funds and sent 61 thousand students to Europe although our goal was 55 thousand for last year. This year we set a challenging goal as 70 thousand. We were trying so hard to achieve this goal of 70 thousand. Now we have a significant guarantee in terms of achieving this goal. EU informed us that they would provide Turkey an additional allocation of 4, 3 million euros from the funds of some countries which could not be used by these countries. This situation actually shows that everybody appreciate Turkey in taking this subject seriously.”

Bagis, stating that among more than 30 countries, Turkey was in the 3rd rank following Germany and France in using EU funds before being a member state, said Turkish National Agency have got beyond the limits of EU and overcome its prejudice and was racing to the top.

Minister Bagis, indicating that all people participated to Leonardo Da Vinci Vocational Education and Training Partnership were considered as honorary ambassadors and members of the negotiation delegation, said “I hope that Turkey will overcome the prejudice together with such a powerful negotiation delegation.”