‘Turkey can contribute to EU’s foreign and security policies’

Bagıs gave a lecture titled “The Future of Turkey-EU relations”.

Turkey’s EU Minister Egemen Bagıs said that if the political blockade before Turkey in the EU negotiation process is lifted, it can open, in the technical sense, 10 chapters in 12 months and 15 chapters in 18 months for negotiations.

Bagıs gave a lecture titled “The Future of Turkey-EU relations” at Stockholm University during his visit to Sweden.

Touching on deep-rooted relations between Turkey and Sweden in his speech, Bağış said that today the two countries have good relations.

Bagıs said that he is pleased with Sweden’s support for Turkey’s EU membership.

Stating that the EU is going through one of the worst crises in history, Bagıs said that this crisis is not only economic but also political, quoting some experts as saying that this crisis stems from Europeans not having confidence in the “European integration project.”

“New members, who have high performance, will contribute to EU having a more important place in the global system. Turkey will significantly contribute to Europe’s future” he said.

Bagıs pointed out that Turkey is an important regional and international player with its gradually increasing power and sound economy, underlining that the Turkish economy is Europe’s fastest growing economy.

“Turkey can share costs for the Euro zone crisis to be solved” he said.

Bagıs said that Turkey can also contribute to EU’s foreign and security policies.

“Turkey represents a new center of gravity stretching from the Balkans to North Africa. Its historic ties and experiences in the recent past with the Balkans, Caucasus and Middle East, can contribute to Turkey’s shaping EU’s policies on these significant and sensitive regions” he added.

Reminding that Turkey has recently released its own progress report, Bağış said that this report indicates Turkey’s determination.

TRT

via News.Az – ‘Turkey can contribute to EU’s foreign and security policies’.