LUXEMBOURG
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt warned Germany who attempt to block the opening of the 22nd chapter in Turkey's EU accession negotiations.
Bildt spoke to the journalists before the meeting of the EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday and was asked if EU's Turkey policy will change. "Why should it change?" said Bildt "The EU is a strategic entity that use strategic policies. We are not guided by short term things now and then. Accession is on of the successfull and one of the most profounded policies of the EU, that has brought peace and stability to the continent."
Bildt also underlined that this was not something that subjected to short term whims here and there and added, "We have a long term policy and long term commitments. All these things happen in different countries. And we can not change the strategy of the EU because of nervousness in one or another country."
"I always believed that Turkey's future is with us. It's necessary to develop the working for this," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle noted that he do not expected that a decision reached on the conference on Monday and added, "The happenings in Turkey in current weeks are far away from good but we can not accept to threat [the dialogue with Turkey] wit cutting or thinning out."
Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger said it's necessary for some mobilization before talks on the new chapter starts.
A EU diplomat who declined to be identified told, "Germany and the Netherlands continue with no approval of the opening of the new negotiation chapter and I do not expect that they'll change their decision."
