ANKARA - Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi said on Wednesday that Bulgaria expended support to Turkey`s European Union (EU) process.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, Pasi said relations between the two countries continued in the highest level in the past 50 years. He said 125th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations would be celebrated soon.
Pasi thanked for the support Turkey expended to Bulgaria`s membership to NATO.
Pasi said Bulgaria expended support to Turkey`s full membership process to the EU, and noted that this support would continue when necessary after the negotiations started.
Pointing out that economic relations between the two countries also improved, Pasi said borders between the two countries lost its former role, and stressed that increase of passages from the border was a sign of this.
Pasi said opening of a new border gate was obligatory.
Asked about the attitude Bulgaria would adopt toward Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) after rejection of Annan plan by Greek Cypriot side, Pasi said an historical opportunity was missed.
Pasi said Bulgaria determined its attitude within the EU, and stressed that Bulgaria would act accordingly in case EU takes a decision to lift the isolation on TRNC.
The guest minister also said Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan would visit his country at the beginning of July.
GUL: IMPROVEMENT OF TURKISH-BULGARIAN RELATIONS MAKES DIRECT CONTRIBUTION TO STABILITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PROSPERITY OF BALKANS
Gul said the two countries shared a joint perspective on the way to EU membership as well as their alliance in NATO. He said this perspective added a new and stronger momentum to relations.
Gul said Turkey and Bulgaria cooperated in politics, trade, economy, culture, fight against terrorism and in international institutions, noting that they were happy to see in today`s meeting that bilateral, regional and international relations progressed perfectly.
Pointing out that economic relations between the two countries were deepened, Gul said last year`s mutual trade volume was 1.3 billion U.S. dollars.
Gul said they exchanged views on Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as Bulgaria was term president of OSCE.
Replying to a question about claims saying that Bulgarian-registered lorries had some difficulties in Iraqi border region, Gul said, ``there is only one border gate between Turkey and Iraq. Nearly 4 thousand lorries come to the gate every day. Sometimes, problems can emerge due to busy traffic at the gate.``
Meanwhile, Pasi said that Turkish officials had always helped them in to resolve such problems, adding that they had also been holding talks with Iraqi officials to this end.
Upon a question about the project for purchase of electricity from Bulgaria in return for Turkish businessmen`s infrastructure investments in Bulgaria, Gul told reporters, ``the project has been suspended for a while. Turkish and Bulgarian delegations have begun working on the project mutually two months ago. We want the project to be finalized and put into practice soon.``
GUL: VOTING IN COE REGARDING REPRESENTATION OF TRNC WAS NOT AMONG DEPUTIES
``Mayors represented their countries at the vote. Therefore, any vote, which was cast upon official directives of the Turkish government, was out of question,`` Gul said.
When asked, ``the Council of Europe COE Local and Regional Administrations General Assembly decided that the three-member delegation of the Greek Cypriot side should include a Turkish Cypriot citizen. However, Turkey abstained in the vote about the Turkish Cypriot representative`s being able to participate only in the Greek Cypriot side`s delegation. What will you say?`` Gul told reporters, ``the vote in Strasbourg was not held among deputies. It was about local administrations, and mayors represented their countries at the vote. Therefore, any vote, which was cast upon official directives of the Turkish government, was out of question. We will evaluate it.``
Following the joint press conference, Gul hosted a luncheon in honor of Pasi.
(AY-UK-AÖ) 26.05.2004