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New Europe supports Turkey's EU bid with greater expansion in mind
Agence France Presse
October 4, 2004 Monday
BY: Jean-Luc Testault
PRAGUE
The European Union's newest members are giving their backing to
Turkey's EU bid as a way of achieving their aim of a greatly enlarged
Europe that would include the Balkans, Ukraine and Belarus, and even
Georgia.
Most leaders in the new EU member countries consider it reasonable to
give Turkey what they themselves obtained, especially since the Muslim
country has been a candidate since 1987, well before the fall of
communism in eastern Europe.
"The current Turkish government has achieved much in reforming the
country and it would be fair that these efforts are recognised with
the opening of EU membership talks," Lithuanian Foreign Minister
Antanas Valionis told AFP.
Even the government of Cyprus is not deeply hostile to Turkey's
admission, despite the presence of 35,000 Turkish soldiers in the
north of the island, which has been divided for 30 years.
The Greek Cypriot side, which joined the EU on May 1, hopes to benefit
from Turkey's bid to bring about reunification of the island.
In former communist Europe too, support for Turkey's entry is seen as
a way of paving the way for the admission of Ukraine.
"The debate on Turkey's European integration is a good opportunity
also to discuss Ukraine's accession," said Maciej Grabowski, spokesman
for the liberal PO, the main opposition party in Poland.
"Some European countries oppose the accession of Turkey, Ukraine's
accession also has its opponents and it would be good to engage in a
debate on this theme," he added.
"If you look at a map, you can see that Belarus and Ukraine make up
part of Europe and I don't see why we would refuse others that what we
were generously given," said Estonian Foreign Minister Kriistina
Ojuland.
Polish leaders avoid talking openly of bringing Belarus into the EU
because of the current dictatorial regime of Alexander Lukashenko. But
in several months ago former Czech president Vaclav Havel called on
the EU to offer a perspective to democrats in Belarus.
"I think that the future of Belarus is solidly bound to that of
Europe, the door has to stay open," he wrote in a newspaper column.
A tireless advocate of Ukraine, Polish President Aleksander
Kwasniewski dreams openly of a Europe which also encompasses Moldova
and the Caucasus.
These ambitions however will meet strong opposition within the
European Union, already digesting its historic enlargement to 25
members.
The current commission planned fixing the borders after the eventual
integration of Turkey and the Balkans.
And if in the new EU countries the Turkish question is not generating
huge debate at the moment, voices are beginning to be heard.
"The situation (of Turkey) is not comparable with that of the new
members since they are, without discussion, European countries with
standard democratic systems," said Pavol Hrusovsky, the Christian
Democrat president of the Slovak Parliament.
In the Czech Republic one of the most pro-European personalities is
campaigning against Turkey's admission.
"The EU will have borders with Syria, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Georgia,
these are infinitely explosive regions," Josef Zieleniec, European
member of parliament and former foreign minister said last week in his
article "The cradle of a new threatening crisis".
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Agence France Presse
October 4, 2004 Monday
BY: Jean-Luc Testault
PRAGUE
The European Union's newest members are giving their backing to
Turkey's EU bid as a way of achieving their aim of a greatly enlarged
Europe that would include the Balkans, Ukraine and Belarus, and even
Georgia.
Most leaders in the new EU member countries consider it reasonable to
give Turkey what they themselves obtained, especially since the Muslim
country has been a candidate since 1987, well before the fall of
communism in eastern Europe.
"The current Turkish government has achieved much in reforming the
country and it would be fair that these efforts are recognised with
the opening of EU membership talks," Lithuanian Foreign Minister
Antanas Valionis told AFP.
Even the government of Cyprus is not deeply hostile to Turkey's
admission, despite the presence of 35,000 Turkish soldiers in the
north of the island, which has been divided for 30 years.
The Greek Cypriot side, which joined the EU on May 1, hopes to benefit
from Turkey's bid to bring about reunification of the island.
In former communist Europe too, support for Turkey's entry is seen as
a way of paving the way for the admission of Ukraine.
"The debate on Turkey's European integration is a good opportunity
also to discuss Ukraine's accession," said Maciej Grabowski, spokesman
for the liberal PO, the main opposition party in Poland.
"Some European countries oppose the accession of Turkey, Ukraine's
accession also has its opponents and it would be good to engage in a
debate on this theme," he added.
"If you look at a map, you can see that Belarus and Ukraine make up
part of Europe and I don't see why we would refuse others that what we
were generously given," said Estonian Foreign Minister Kriistina
Ojuland.
Polish leaders avoid talking openly of bringing Belarus into the EU
because of the current dictatorial regime of Alexander Lukashenko. But
in several months ago former Czech president Vaclav Havel called on
the EU to offer a perspective to democrats in Belarus.
"I think that the future of Belarus is solidly bound to that of
Europe, the door has to stay open," he wrote in a newspaper column.
A tireless advocate of Ukraine, Polish President Aleksander
Kwasniewski dreams openly of a Europe which also encompasses Moldova
and the Caucasus.
These ambitions however will meet strong opposition within the
European Union, already digesting its historic enlargement to 25
members.
The current commission planned fixing the borders after the eventual
integration of Turkey and the Balkans.
And if in the new EU countries the Turkish question is not generating
huge debate at the moment, voices are beginning to be heard.
"The situation (of Turkey) is not comparable with that of the new
members since they are, without discussion, European countries with
standard democratic systems," said Pavol Hrusovsky, the Christian
Democrat president of the Slovak Parliament.
In the Czech Republic one of the most pro-European personalities is
campaigning against Turkey's admission.
"The EU will have borders with Syria, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Georgia,
these are infinitely explosive regions," Josef Zieleniec, European
member of parliament and former foreign minister said last week in his
article "The cradle of a new threatening crisis".
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress