TURKEY-EU TROIKA MEETING

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan and Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis, together with the delegation accompanying them, attended Turkey-EU Troika meeting which was held in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.

Karel Schwarzenberg, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Carl Bildt, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, which is the next EU term president, Olli Rehn, Member of the European Commission Responsible for Enlargement and representatives from the EU council attended the Troika meeting.

Turkey's EU process, Turkey's reform efforts, quest for peace in the Middle East, latest developments in Southern Caucasus, Pakistan and India were among the issues discussed during the meeting.

During the meeting in which Turkey conveyed to the EU officials the concrete message that "its way to the membership shouldn't be blocked on the grounds of political issues which are not related to the negotiation process", it was decided that Social Policy and Employment and Taxation chapters which were planned to be opened during the presidency of the Czech Republic should be opened before the Czech Republic presidency in the EU ends

In the press conference held after the meeting, Schwarzenberg said that the talks were very positive and he was content to see that Turkey is coming closer to EU with each passing day."

Resource: AA