Armenian, Assyrian and Hellenic Genocide News

FM expresses satisfaction over agreement on EU-Turkey partnership
by ANA - M. Spinthourakis / Y. Zitouniati
Posted: Thursday, December 07, 2000 02:22 am CST

BRUSSELS, 05/12/2000

Foreign Minister George Papandreou expressed satisfaction over the agreement reached here on Monday on the issue of Turkey's partnership agreement with the European Union, saying it is a historic moment in Turkey's relations with the EU, as well as with Greece.

Papandreou also underlined that in the framework of the partnership agreement the preconditions, which Turkey is called upon to fulfill, are mentioned.

The agreement reached during a EU foreign ministers council meeting, has two references of direct interest to Greece. The first concerns Turkey's short-term commitments and anticipates that in 2001 Turkey, in the framework of political dialogue with the EU, should back the efforts of the UN secretary general for a solution to the protracted Cyprus problem. This reference is in a paragraph entitled "short-term commitments" and "strengthened political dialogue and political criteria."

The second is included in a paragraph entitled "medium-term commitments" and "strengthened political dialogue and political criteria" and focuses on Turkey's commitment to resolve, in the medium term, its possible border differences with Greece in a peaceful way and based on decisions taken at the EU Helsinki summit, also through resorting to the International Court.

Papandreou attributed the agreement reached concerning Turkey's degree of commitment in solving the Cyprus issue and Greek-Turkish differences, to the "ingenuity" of the European Union French presidency which included "hot" issues in short-term and medium-term criteria, satisfying Greece's claim for commitments with a timetable, while in parallel the "backing of political dialogue" was added (to the titles of corresponding chapters), as Turkey desired.

"The partnership relation, as a road map for Turkey's pre-accession course, constitutes a continuation and consequence of Helsinki," Papandreou said, adding that "a new era is also opening for Greek-Turkish relations" and the Cyprus issue.

Papandreou spoke of a "hopeful path of changes" in Turkey in its rapprochement with Europe in which it will find Greece as its supporter.

"There are no victors and vanquished, but partners who cooperate," he said, adding that the text on the partnership agreement should not only be accepted but the preconditions should also constitute an "acquired right" for Turkey as well to lead it to a "small revolution" to which Greece could also contribute.

Papandreou referred to the implements of controlling Turkey's "democratization course" by the EU, which the partnership agreement enacts, saying that there will be assessment procedures, regarding criteria, through the annual progress report, the committees, the association councils and political dialogue.

Earlier, French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine verified that a tentative agreement has been struck regarding the all-important text for the EU-Turkey partnership agreement.

Specifically, Vedrine announced that the agreement approved by the Union's 15 member-states is fully based on conclusions emanating from last December's EU summit in Helsinki, whereas short-term and mid-term commitments Ankara must fulfill in its course towards EU accession are also included.

The French foreign minister, who presides over Paris' current six-month EU presidency, also praised the contributions towards rapprochement by Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem as well as EU enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen.

[03] Alternate Foreign Minister praises report on progress in European security and defense policy

BRUSSELS, 05/12/2000 (ANA - Y. Zitouniati)

Alternate Foreign Minister Elizabeth Papazoi on Monday said the European Union presidency's report on progress achieved over the past six months in Common European Security and Defense Policy (CESDP), discussed here at the Council of Foreign Ministers, is a "qualitative leap in the effort to build a truly autonomous crises management by the EU."

A statement by the "15" was registered in the records, through intervention by the Greek side, that in the framework of the CESDP's activities the safeguarding of protection for the EU's external borders is being reconfirmed, as well as the safeguarding of common values, and its independence and integrity, as described in article 11 of the Amsterdam Treaty. The report will be forwarded to the European Council in Nice.

Papazoi said "what is important from now on is the speedy implementation of the decisions taken in Nice and a start to the operation of political and military bodies to enable the EU to obtain operational capacity soon."

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