European Council President Charles Michel said that the European Union agreed to establish “positive and stable” relations with Turkey.
This came in statements to journalists on Wednesday at the conclusion of the sessions of the first day of the European Union summit held in the Belgian capital, Brussels.
Michel noted that European Union leaders wanted to hold a strategic discussion on relations with Turkey and that they reached a consensus at the end of the session.
He continued: “We want to establish positive relations with Turkey and develop stable relations. We want to work in a gradual and proportionate approach.”
Regarding Cyprus, Michel stressed that the situation on the island is very important.
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He added: “We are particularly concerned with the situation in Cyprus, especially with regard to the solution path conducted by the United Nations.”
Since 1974, the island of Cyprus has been divided between two parts: the Turkish in the north and the Roman in the south. In 2004, the Greek Cypriots rejected a plan presented by the United Nations to unify the two parts of the island.
Since the collapse of the UN-sponsored Cyprus reunification talks in Switzerland in July 2017, no formal UN-brokered negotiations have taken place to settle the conflict on the island.
On Wednesday, the European Union announced in the final statement of the summit that it has a strategic interest in developing a stable and safe environment in the eastern Mediterranean and developing a mutually beneficial cooperation relationship with Turkey.
The statement stressed, “Attributing great importance to the resumption and progress of the Cyprus negotiations, which could also lead to improving cooperation between the European Union and Turkey.”
