EU, Turkey to work on new roadmap: Top Turkish diplomat
Baku, January 23, AZERTAC
Turkey and the EU agreed on working on a roadmap for enhancing relations, the Turkish foreign minister said Friday, according to Anadolu Agency.
Speaking to journalists in Brussels after his two-day working visit, Mevlut Cavusoglu said "2020 was a problematic year” for relations between Turkey and the EU but a more positive dialogue has developed since the EU leaders’ meeting in December.
“We interpreted the joint statement of the December meeting as a hand extended towards Turkey and we reciprocate it in a positive way,” said Cavusoglu.
Turkey is always ready to improve its relations with any party or institution extending a positive hand, he said, adding that Turkey fulfills its promises.
Cavusoglu noted that Turkey's EU membership process should also be kept alive, adding that Ankara is always ready to take steps to fulfill opening and closing criteria of the negotiation chapters.
Visa liberalization and modernization of Turkey’s 1995 Customs Union with the EU were part of this agreement and “unfortunately no steps have been taken in this regard,” said Cavusoglu.
Cavusoglu said the EU expressed willingness to attend the UN-initiated "5+1 unofficial meeting" on Cyprus, between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot communities, and three guarantor countries Turkey, Greece and the UK.
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