AMSTERDAM - Turkish State Minister Ali Babacan met separately Dutch Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Gerrit Zalm and Economic Affairs Minister Laurens Jan Brinkhorst in The Hague on Wednesday. Babacan informed ministers on economic and political developments in Turkey in his meetings.
After his meetings, Babacan told reporters that a decision on Turkey's accession to the European Union (EU) would be taken at the end of this year.
Stating that especially Turkish economy topped the agenda in his meetings, Babacan said that he explained progress that Turkey has recorded to Dutch ministers. He added that the two ministers expressed their pleasure over those developments.
Noting that Turkey aimed to catch standards of the European economy, Babacan said that they wanted to catch Maastricht criteria. ''I believe that we will catch those criteria in terms of budget balance, interest rates and inflation,'' he stressed.
Babacan noted that he invited Zalm to Turkey in their meeting.
State Minister Babacan also met representatives of Dutch business circles over a working lunch.
Babacan is expected to meet Dutch Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association Chairman Jacques Schraven in the afternoon.
(EÖ-AÖ) 01.09.2004