NEW APPOINTMENTS IN THE EU

Related to the appointment of the Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy to the Presidency of the EU Council and the British Baroness Catherine Ashton to the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator Egemen Bagis said: "I believe that the new president and the high representative will appreciate Turkey's determination and its contributions to the EU and therefore they will pave the way for Turkey's full membership process which will be for the benefit of both Turkey and the EU."

In his written statement, Bagis emphasized that while the concept ‘small country - big country balance' was taken into account, ‘the conservative and socialist balance' was also watched over. Bagis also stated that search for balance among the views which support European models based on cooperation with federal Europe, could also be added to those.

Noting that Belgium was one of the founding nations of the EU which had played a role as a locomotive throughout the integration history of EU, Bagis recalled that UK acceded to the EU during the first enlargement wave and he added that it had been a country which made great contributions to the EU. Bagis pointed out that both countries, so far, had approached positively to the issue of enlargement and to the issue of Turkey's EU membership process.

Bagis indicated that Van Rompuy and Barones Ashton assumed important roles in turning the EU into a successful global peace and prosperity project of the 21st century and he wished Rompuy and Ashton success in their new appointments.

Bagis said, "Today as a country which conducts negotiations and in the future as an EU member state, Turkey will continue to support EU's efforts to become a global actor."

Noting that it was "important and in line with the principle of pacta sunt servanda" that Van Rompuy in his first speech as a response to a question said he would remain neutral about Turkey's membership and adopt the attitude of 27 member states, Bagis said "Actually Turkey's expectation is that the EU sticks by the decisions which it took unanimously regarding our country (official recognition of Turkey as a candidate for full membership in 1999 and start of accession negotiations in 2005)."

Bagis continued to say the following:

"Turkey, which is a part of all the political and military institutions of Europe and which is the 6th biggest economy of our continent, is determined to be the actor of the global peace and prosperity project of the century and crown the reform process and accession negotiations with the EU membership. Our determination will also continue in a European structuring which will form on the basis of the Treaty of Lisbon.

I believe that the new president and high representative would appreciate this determination of Turkey and Turkey's contributions to the EU and thus improve the full membership process of Turkey which would benefit both our country and the EU."

Source: AA