ANKARA - Italian Minister of Environment Altero Matteoli visited Environment and Forestry Minister Osman Pepe on Wednesday.
After interdelegationary meetings, the two ministers held a joint press conference.
Pepe said that Italian Environment Minister Mateolli's visit to Turkey was of great importance for improvement of cooperation studies in environment field between the two countries and with respect to realization of the European Union (EU) acquisition by Turkey.
Osman Pepe said that a protocol would be signed for cooperation in environment field between Turkey and Italy.
Stressing that Turkish public opinion showed great sensitivity to hazardous wastes which had been left off Samsun and Sinop provinces, Pepe said that an agreement was reached regarding wastes.
Pepe said that bilateral project possibilities in environment field would be supported and noted that an expert delegation would be formed and studies would be launched to sign bilateral cooperation agreement as soon as possible.
Matteoli said that he also undertook presidency of environment ministers of EU countries and stated that other countries were also interested in bilateral cooperation between Turkey and Italy.
Stating that a conference would be held with participation of environment and energy ministers of 25 EU member countries in Italy in coming days, Matteoli said that he also invited Turkey to this conference.
Matteoli said that they did not consider Turkey a candidate country to EU, but Turkey was a friendly country which meant much more than it to Italy.
Replying to questions of reporters, Matteoli said that an agreement was reached to extend financial and technical aid to Turkey in order to remove and eliminate hazardous wastes which had been left off Samsun and Sinop provinces the following months.
Matteoli said that amount of financial aid would be determined in the working meeting which would start in Italy on July 18, 2003.
(EÖ-AÖ) 09.07.2003