EU, Turkey to launch visa liberalisation dialogue

The EU and Turkey agreed here Wednesday to the launch visa liberalisation dialogue and to sign readmission agreement on December 16 in Ankara. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told reporters here after a meeting with EU commissioners, for home affairs Cecilia Malmstrom and enlargement and neighbourhood policy Stefan Fulle, that this "was a very important step for us in this historic process. " On her part, Malmstrom said "this shows the commitment from EU and for Turkey to move ahead on these two very important issues, the signing of the readmission agreement and the opening of the visa liberalisation dialogue which aims to facilitate people to people contact. It will be very beneficial for citizens in EU and Turkey." "Turkey is already contributing a lot to the migration issue with a very generous hospitality offering to hundred of thousand of Syrians who now live on the Turkish territory. We should recommend Turkey and also the other countries in the neighbourhood to rake a huge responsibility for these people in need," she told the joint news conference. On his part, Fule said "We have all worked hard for this important part of the positive agenda with Turkey to inject a new dynamism in our relationship." The readmission agreement obliges Turkey to take back all illegal immigrants that have crossed over to an EU member state from its territory.