ATHENS - Greek Foreign Minister Theodora Bakoyianni said that Turkey`s membership to the EU is a must to restore security and stability in the region as well as for a stronger democracy.
Bakoyianni held a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan who is currently in Athens.
Noting that Greece attaches importance to good neighborly relations, Bakoyianni said that a new period has started with Turkey`s EU membership process. She added that this is a new period not only for Turkish people, but also for bilateral relations and for the entire region.
Stressing that permanent and fair solution for Cyprus problem should be based on bi-zonal and bi-communal federation principle, Bakoyianni said that Turkey`s EU membership process should be assessed within that scope.
Bakoyianni said that during Babacan`s meetings (in Athens), they took a new step to further recover the confidence milieu between Turkey and Greece.
According to these new steps, confidence-building measures are increased from 19 to 24 as;
"Land, Naval and Air Forces Commanders of Turkey and Greece will hold regular mutual visits. A united-joint operational unit will be constituted to participate in operations which are performed to support peace under NATO. A joint land forces unit will be set to attend rapid reaction force operations of NATO. A joint natural disasters rescue/humanitarian aid mission force will be established. Mutual visits will be held between commanders of units working along Turkish-Greek border in Thrace."
Bakoyianni said that they discussed regional and international matters which concern both countries as well as Balkans and Middle East issues during their meeting.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said that within the scope of confidence-building measures, Turkey and Greece will also set up a joint military unit which may undertake missions in problematic regions of the world such as Afghanistan.