Turkey Receives Invitation to EU Foreign Ministers Meeting

The European Union has invited Turkey to participate in the informal meeting of foreign ministers of its member states, “Geminich”, scheduled to be held in the Belgian capital, Brussels, on August 29.

Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Öncü Keçali stated this regarding news circulating from EU sources that Ankara will also participate in the talks to be held on the sidelines of “Geminich”.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesperson said: “This invitation was viewed positively and evaluated as an effort for dialogue by the European Union”.

He stressed that this invitation indicates that the European Union is aware of the need to develop relations with Turkey in the face of regional and global challenges, stressing that this positive step should not be limited to the “Geminich” meetings.

Kesali added: “Our cooperation and dialogue with the European Union in all areas must be established on a continuous and systematic basis and strengthened in a sustainable and predictable manner in order to achieve progress in relations.”

“It is necessary to immediately start negotiations to update the Customs Union, activate Turkey’s accession process, liberalize visa requirements for Turkish citizens, and revive structured dialogue mechanisms,” he added.

In addition to “taking concrete steps on key issues such as activating regular high-level dialogues, especially in areas requiring close cooperation such as politics, economy, transport, and energy,” according to Keçali.

The Geminich meetings aim to provide an informal environment for EU foreign ministers to freely exchange views on current international issues.

They also help develop common views and strategies among member states by coordinating the EU’s foreign and security policies, and provide a crucial platform for defining and implementing the bloc’s common foreign policy objectives.