ATHENS - Turkish Foreign Minister & Chief Negotiator for EU talks Ali Babacan said on Tuesday Turkey hoped that Greece`s support to Turkey`s EU accession process would continue.
Babacan and Greek FM Dora Bakoyianni attended Turkish-Greek Business Forum in Athens, Greece.
Taking the floor in the forum, Babacan said Turkish-Greece dialogue and cooperation process that was launched in 1999 has advanced on a sound ground and it contributed to economic and political relations between the two countries.
Turkey`s EU accession was one of the main goals of Turkish foreign policy and they believed that natural outcome of this process would become full membership, he stated.
Turkey has fulfilled several reforms on its path to the EU membership and there were other steps that have to be taken by the country, he said.
"Turkey`s membership will contribute to Europe`s peace and prosperity project," Babacan said.
Babacan also underlined the importance of natural gas pipeline project (between Turkey and Greece) that was inaugurated on November 18th, 2007.
Trade volume between Turkey and Greece should be boosted and coast trade should also be improved, he said.
On the other hand, Bakoyianni said a new page opened in bilateral relations with Turkey`s starting accession talks with the EU.
The way to Europe was not an easy one and reforms the EU asked Turkey to fulfil would be beneficial for Turkey and Turkish people, she said. If Turkey fulfilled its duties, it should join the EU as a full member, Bakoyianni stated.
In regard to the Cyprus issue, Bakoyianni said they had to exert efforts for a solution to the issue for settlement of peace.
Bakoyianni said trade volume between Turkey and Greece has reached 2.7 billion U.S. dollars and the economic relations between the two countries have improved on the sectors such as energy, banking, technology and construction.
The two countries also gave a sound message of cooperation with Turkish-Greek natural gas pipeline project, she added.