Britain's Miliband holds bilateral talks

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu yesterday met with his visiting British counterpart David Miliband. Afterwards, Miliband told a joint press conference that everyone wants to see Turkey making strides towards reforms. He also reiterated his country's support for Turkey's accession to the EU, despite opposition from leaders in France and Germany, saying that Turkey's membership would bring economic dynamism into the bloc. Touching on the Cyprus issue, Miliband expressed his country's support for the ongoing negotiation process between Turkish and Greek Cypriots. "The ongoing status quo in Cyprus should be changed, and Britain urges the two sides not to suffer from the solution," he added. For his part, Davutoglu said that the two countries had similar stance on issues such as Turkey's full EU membership process and the future of Cyprus. Referring to the Cyprus issue, Davutoglu called this year the chance for a comprehensive solution to the issue." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan received Miliband, with Davutoglu also in attendance.