SENER: TURKEY FULFILLS ITS RESPONSIBILITIES IN ITS EU PROCESS
ANKARA - Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Abdullatif Sener has said, ''Turkey fulfills its responsibilities in its European Union (EU) membership process. However, the EU should also take necessary steps to prepare its institutions and public opinions for Turkey's membership.''
Turkey-Slovenia Joint Economic Commission (JEC) meetings started in Ankara on Monday.
State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Sener and Economic Affairs Minister Tea Petrin of Slovenia presided the meetings.
Making the opening remarks of the meeting, Sener said that both Turkey and Slovenia believed in the ideal of Europe, recalling that EU full membership topped targets of the Turkish government.
''Turkey welcomes Slovenia's accession to the EU as of May 1, 2004. I believe that number of EU-member countries supporting Turkey will increase as a result,'' he said.
Stressing that the EU Summit in December of 2004 would be an important date for Turkey, Sener said, ''Turkey is determined to fulfil the remaining reforms and put these reforms into practice effectively till December. However, it should be remembered that the EU membership requires a bilateral effort. Turkey fulfills its responsibilities in its EU membership process. However, the EU should also take necessary steps to prepare its institutions and public opinions for Turkey's membership.''
Noting that positive figures in Turkey's macro economic indications gained momentum in recent period, Sener said that real and financial sector entered to a rapid recovery process as a reflection of the economic program which the government fulfilled with determination. Sener gave information about Turkey's foreign trade and the current situation of economy.
Sener said that Turkey wanted to continue relations with Slovenia through the existing settled channels and carry them to further stages and enhance them in new cooperation fields. He added that commercial relations between Turkey and Slovenia increased significantly especially in the recent period.
Noting that trade volume between two countries increased more than 200 percent when compared with the figures of 1996 and reached 188 million dollars in 2003, Sener said that export and import rates increased 49 percent in this period, but those hopeful developments did not reflect the real potential of two countries.
Sener said that the most important responsibility should be taken by business circles of two countries to develop commercial and economic relations. He added that forming trade and purchase delegations and starting activities which would make Turkish and Slovene businessmen hold closer meetings and providing maximum participation to fairs and exhibitions would be very beneficial.
Noting that Turkey considered Slovenia as an attractive economic partner, Sener said that Turkish and Slovene firms would increase competition power by uniting their experiences and technologies.
Sener said that two countries could make cooperation in contractor field and ship building sector. He added that he believed that there were countless opportunities for two countries to develop their relations with their existing potentials.
Sener said that legal frame between two countries would be completed with the agreement which would be signed in the end of JEC meeting and a reliable working milieu would be provided for business circles of both countries.
Meanwhile, Economic Affairs Minister Tea Petrin of Slovenia said that Slovenia was a reliable partner in every field, and gave information about Slovenian economy.
Petrin underlined that economic and commercial relations between Turkey and Slovenia should be further improved.
Prior to the JEC meeting, Sener and Petrin held a tete-a-tete meeting.
(UK-GC-AÖ) 22.03.2004