E.U. Will Make Arrangements Related With Itself To Digest New Members

ISTANBUL - European Commission's Representative to Turkey Hansjoerg Kretschmer said on Tuesday that the European Union (EU) would make arrangements related with itself to digest new members.
Speaking in a meeting in Istanbul, Kretschmer said that EU was a system which spread stability and prosperity to a large area and there were still some difficulties which could not be ignored like failure in formation of a common defense and foreign policy.
Kretschmer noted that EU largely formed a political union in recent years and said that some decisions on political and military issues should be taken.
There was need for a political will in EU for world leadership, Kretschmer said.
Kretschmer noted that they could lay a good atmosphere for leadership if they had political will and new members should also be taken into consideration.
EU would make arrangements related with itself to digest new members because it would trade with 25 countries and deal with 25 countries instead of 15, Kretschmer said.
Noting that there was an obligation to limit number of EU member countries, Kretschmer said that EU could not cover a region from Atlantic to Pacific.
(BRC) 14.10.2003