Gul: "The EU should help Balkan countries integrate into Euro-Atlantic bodies"

Key actors of the Balkan region yesterday reaffirmed their joint political will to integrate into Euro-Atlantic bodies at the end of a three-day regional summit held by NATO member and European Union candidate Turkey in Istanbul. The European Union must avoid taking steps that hinder Balkan countries' integration process, President Abdullah Gul yesterday told a joint press conference with his Montenegrin and Serbian counterparts, held as part of the South-Eastern European Cooperation Process (SEECP) summit at Ciragan Palace in Istanbul. Turkey and all the Balkan countries have a shared future in the European family, said Gul, adding that the Balkans have made rapid progress in their integration into Euro-Atlantic structures as well as the visa liberalization process, which is about to end with the liberalization for Albania and Bosnia expected by year's-end. "The goal for all of us is this: to take our place within European and Euro-Atlantic structures and strengthen common values across the entire region," he said. "In this regard, the EU and NATO dimension is very important in the Balkans." Full EU membership is the only end option for Turkey, as well as the other non-EU members in the Balkans, Gul said, adding that Europeans see diversity as a richness that promotes harmony among the people of the EU. He added that this also must be true for Southeastern European countries, and that this idea was one of the major focal points of the summit. He also said that there has been no shift in the axis of Turkey's foreign policy priorities, despite recent media allegations to the contrary. In his opening speech at the summit, Gul stressed the importance of including Kosovo in the process. "It is important to include Kosovo as part of the regional cooperation process," he said, adding that they have to wait until the legal processes for its independence are over. Though not mentioned in the summit's declaration approved by all the heads of state, the Kosovo issue was indirectly addressed in paragraph 34, which says, "We agreed on the importance of the consolidation of peace, security, stability and inclusiveness as a major contribution to the well-being of the entire region." Also addressing the summit, Serbian President Boris Tadic said that Turkey and the Balkans' shared history and cultural, musical and linguistic similarities have brought them closer together. Tadic stressed the importance of regional cooperation in key fields such as infrastructure and energy. "We must work together to improve our infrastructure and implement common energy projects," he said, adding that Serbia and Turkey have a common vision for their foreign policy of "zero problems" with their neighbors. Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov said all the countries in the region must cooperate more in research and development, innovation, and new technologies. Stronger cooperation in these areas will bring more prosperity and boost people's standards of living, he added. At the end of the summit, Turkey handed over the SEECP's presidency to Montenegro, with Montenegrin President Filip Vujanovic pledging that his country would strive to improve the process, as well as remain fully committed to strengthening its administrative capacity to prove itself a reliable partner in the process.