Message from the EU Commission to Turkey: 'Inevitable for Europe'

European Union (EU) Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi spoke at the "Inter-Parliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy" held in Budapest, the capital of Hungary, which holds the EU presidency.

Emphasizing that the issue of enlargement should be a priority for the new EU administration, Varhelyi said, "Just as we are together today, we must be able to advance the issue of enlargement and also be able to push for a new wave of enlargement in the next Commission."

Pointing out that the current geopolitical and security situation in Europe makes enlargement "inevitable," Varhelyi stated, "Without enlargement, there can be no peace, prosperity, or security for Europe. I think our discussions in the coming period will be largely shaped by the issue of enlargement."

'WE ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGING WITH ANKARA'

Touching upon Turkey, one of the candidate countries, Varhelyi said, "We are actively engaging with Ankara to revitalize our bilateral relations."

Recalling that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan was invited to an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers after a 5-year hiatus, Varhelyi said, "We had a productive meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister at the Gymnich meeting."

EU Commissioner Varhelyi noted the following:

"Based on the initial steps and the progress on the Turkish side, we hope that further steps can be taken for more high-level dialogue, the gradual re-engagement of the European Investment Bank, and the resumption of discussions on the mandate for the modernization of the Customs Union. I hope all of this will become a reality in the very near future."

News Source: 12punto