BUDAPEST - "Our definite aim is EU membership. We are following on that path," said Turkish State Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks Ali Babacan.
Babacan attended on Wednesday the joint meeting of Hungarian Parliament`s Foreign Affairs and European Affairs Committees after a meeting with Hungarian Minister in Charge of the Prime Minister`s Office Gyorgy Szilvasy. Babacan also met with Hungarian FM Kinga Goncz.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Goncz, Babacan said Turkish government will unfold a program in April that would reveal their future activities for 2007-2013 period regarding Turkey`s EU bid.
On the other hand, Hungarian FM Goncz said they discussed Turkey`s bid to join the EU, noting that Hungary fully supports Turkey`s EU membership and watches and admires reforms carried out in Turkey. Goncz stated that they would like to share their EU experiences with Turkey.
Turkish Minister Babacan also assessed his talks in Hungary to A.A correspondent and said "in April the government will announce its detailed future activities for 2007-2013 period regarding the EU membership. Therefore, we will make public our reforms according to our calender and our priorities free from formal course of negotiations (with the EU). Hereafter the important thing will be practice. These reforms will be realized in first 3-4 years."
Babacan will return to Turkey late on Wednesday.