EU-Turkey membership talks in Brussels

Lithuanian foreign minister Linas Linkevicius whose country holds the current EU Presidency will lead the European Union delegation in the Intergovernmental Accession Conference with Turkey in Brussels on Tuesday. At tomorrow's meeting, a new Chapter 22 on regional policy in Turkey's accession negotiations with the EU will be opened after a three-year break, noted an EU Presidency statement here today. EU candidate countries in their accession negotiations have to close 35 chapters, or policy issues, to bring in line with EU legislation. Till now Turkey has opened 14 chapters and preliminary closed only one chapter. Turkey began EU membership negotiations in 2005. The European Commission last month presented its annual Progress report on Turkey stating that Turkey is a strategic partner for the EU and that the full potential of the EU-Turkey relationship is best fulfilled within the framework of an active and credible accession process. The Turkish delegation in the Intergovernmental Accession Conference will be led by Egemen Bags, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, and Dr. Cevdet Yilmaz, Minister of Development of Turkey. The EU will also be represented by Stefan Fule, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy.