Czech Republic and Sweden for Turkey's EU membershipMay 30, 2009 - 19:15 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey has a great geopolitical importance for EU, Eva Filipi, the ambassadress of the Czech Republic to Turkey, said in Ankara. "EU is not a Christian club, and has many universal principles and values that are not related with religion." Filipi said. The Czech Republic has been holding the rotating presidency of the EU since the beginning of 2009, and will hand over the presidency to Sweden as of July 1, 2009. The ambassadress expressed her country's full support for Turkey's EU membership bid and said both Turkey and the EU should be fair as much as they could and fulfill their obligations, Anatolia News Agency reports. Eva Filipi, the ambassadress of the Czech Republic to Turkey, said that there were many reasons to make Turkey a full member of the EU. Filipi enumerated these reasons as Turkey's geopolitic and strategic importance and location. Turkey became an EU candidate country in December 1999. The union launched accession talks with Turkey on October 3, 2005. President of France Nicolas Sarkozy's and Germany's Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel have a strict positions in relation to Turkey's joining the EU. They repeatedly stated, that Turkey can aspire to privileged partnership, at most. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Lemkin Institute petition seeks release of Armenians in Azerbaijan The Lemkin Institute is deeply concerned about the continued illegal detention of political prisoners from Karabakh in Azerbaijan. Armenian Catholicos calls for national unity against threats Karekin II issued a message on Republic Day marking the anniversary of the First Armenian Republic. Pashinyan: Armenia’s desired goal is “on the horizon” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia is moving forward “without interruption”. Opposition leader, supporters spend night at Sardarapat memorial Police made nearly 300 arrests the day before as Galstanyan and his supporters continued to demonstrate in Yerevan. |