Sarkozy adviser: "France will treat Turkey's EU bid honestly and impartially"

France assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union yesterday from Slovenia. Afterwards, in an interview with ABHaber, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's adviser for European Union affairs Alain Lamassoure said that France would be honest and impartial towards Turkey's EU membership bid. Stating that his country's stance against Turkey's full EU membership has not changed, he added, "Chapters linked to full membership will be blocked, but France will support opening all the chapters not linked to full membership." Lamassoure said that three or four chapters could be opened in the months to come. France's UN Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert also called Turkey a vital and strategic partner of the Union, saying the EU negotiation process will continue as planned.