Romanian leader urges EU to send positive signal to Turkey
YAYINLAMA
GÜNCELLEME
Romanian President Traian Basescu has said the EU needs to send positive signals to Turkey, stressing that the EU candidate country brings an important contribution to the EU's wider neighborhood, including the Middle East and North Africa. In an exclusive interview with Today's Zaman on the eve of his state visit to Turkey, which begins on Monday, Basescu said the "EU needs Turkey as much as Turkey needs the EU." Reiterating his country's strong support for Turkey's membership bid to the EU, the Romanian president said, "In [our] relations with our European colleagues, we continue to advocate the need for the EU to send more positive signals to Turkey." Dismissing suggestions that Turkey does not belong in the EU, the Romanian president argued that Turkey has proven on many occasions its European vocation. "Its history has long been intertwined with that of Europe, while European values are part of the country's identity," Basescu said while praising Turkey's dynamic economy, which has been geared towards substantial trade and investment links with the EU. The visiting president had some suggestions for Turkish officials as well, saying that reforms are not just limited to candidate countries but are needed for member countries as well. "EU membership is a process that is comprehensively assessed before accession and that continues through reforms also implemented after becoming an EU member. As an EU member state, Romania is fulfilling its commitments accordingly and promoting its interests in a manner congruent with the common European interest," he said. The Romanian leader underlined that the key element bonding Romania and Turkey together is "the strong personal ties between the people from both countries." He announced that during his visit both countries would sign an important document for enhanced cooperation. "This moment has a historic importance in our bilateral relations, and we hope it will lead to enhanced cooperation in such areas as international cooperation, economy and energy, environment, security, education, culture and tourism," Basescu said. He praised Turkish investors who are active in the Romanian market in fields ranging from trade to agriculture, from the banking sector to the health industry and from media to tourism. "However, we consider that there is still important potential to be explored in both markets," he remarked. "That is why we encourage Turkish investors to explore even further the opportunities offered by the Romanian market, and at the same time I would like to call on Romanian businessmen to be more active in the Turkish market," he said. The Romanian president is expected to attend the Romanian-Turkish Business Forum to be held in Istanbul on Tuesday. "The event will be a great opportunity for the businessmen of both countries to assess new opportunities of cooperation. We aim at encouraging bilateral projects, but also common ‘projects in third markets'," he noted.