MINISTER BAGIS MAKES CONTACTS IN PARIS

Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Bagis started his contacts in Paris with a visit to Michel Barnier, one of the leading figures of the ruling party in France.

A candidate of the leading party in recent European Parliament elections, Barnier had also represented France in the European Commission for a long time and was the minister for agriculture and foreign affairs in the past.

Bagis also met Pierre Lelouche, French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Claude Gueant, the Secretary General of the French Presidency and Jean-David Levitte, the diplomatic advisor to the French President the same day.

In the meetings, Turkey's relations with France and Turkey's ongoing accession negotiations with the EU were discussed with priority. Bagis also met Henri de Castries, the co-chairman of the "Season of Turkey" Organization Committee for France.

Bagis said the French executives gave assurance that accession talks carried out between Turkey and the EU would not be interrupted. Stating that the ongoing negotiations with Turkey, customs union, illegal migration issues were discussed in the meeting, Bagis said France closely followed the democratic expansion and the process of normalizing relations with Armenia.

In the meeting, Minister Bagis emphasized that they agreed to improve the relationship in the best possible way between France and Turkey.

Bagis also attended the closure of Ramadan Nights activities that were held under the framework of "Season of Turkey" in France the same day.

Source: AA