BRUSSELS - Agreement on the European Union's (EU) financing INTERREG, a program which envisages development and economic cooperation in border region between Turkey and Greece, was signed in Brussels on Monday.
Greek Finance Minister Nikos Khristodoulakis, EU Commission member Michel Barnier, Turkey's Permanent Representative to EU Oguz Demiralp and Greece's Permanent Representative to EU Vassilios Kaskarelis attended the signing ceremony.
EU Commission will reserve 35 million Euros for INTERREG which will cover neighboring regions of Greece and Turkey. Infrastructure activities in border region, recovery of border passages and easing the connection between border regions and cities are among the priorities of the program.
EU will transfer 14 million Euros for these activities, while transferring seven million Euros to the region for economic development and employment. EU will transfer 12.25 million Euros for improving living standards, environment and culture fields and 1.75 million Euros for technical support.
Barnier said that the project, which had a total cost of 66 million Euros between Turkey and Greece, would contribute to development of relations between the two countries.
(GC-AÖ) 09.02.2004