Turkish Foreign Minister, E.U. Chief Meets Over Lunch In Istanbul

ISTANBUL - Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan met Friday Jose Manuel Barroso, chief of European Union's executive body, over a lunch in Istanbul.
Speaking at the meeting Babacan said Turkey's goal was to join the EU as a full member adding that his country considered the Union as "a unity of common values such as plurality, tolerance, democracy and differences."
Babacan said Turkey had made remarkable progress over the last five years, which he said was built on "a strong economic program as well as EU reforms."
The foreign minister also said that as long as Turkey continued with the reforms the EU should stay loyal to its commitments as well.
(YMB-AÖ)