BRATISLAVA, January 25, (WEBNOVINY) — More and more tourists from Slovakia visit Turkey every year. However, people of both countries still need a visa to enter the other country. Slovak Foreign Minister Mikulas Dzurinda and the Turkish Minister for European Affairs and the chief negotiator of the country’s EU accession, Egemen Bagis, discussed the issue at a meeting in Bratislava this Tuesday. They agreed upon creating an expert group, which will discuss lifting the visa requirement for Slovaks in Turkey and liberalizing it vice versa. “The sooner the better,” answered Dzurinda the question on when changes might come into force.
Dzurinda has also met with Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic and discussed his statements after the thwarted international police operation, when the Turkish police arrested a Czech truck driver, transporting an illegal drug precursor in a transport monitored by the police. Lipsic said that this is one of the cases that show that Turkey is not ready to join the EU. “I spoke to the minister personally and we understood each other. I’d like to ask you that this part of my answer would be sufficient for you,” said Dzurinda at a press conference after Minister Bagis’ visit. Bagis refused to speculate as to who made a mistake according to the Turks, claiming that he doesn’t want to “point the finger“ or to “blame one another”. Turkey and Slovakia are allies, he said. “Our police have cooperated in the past, they cooperate now and will cooperate in the future. When a failure occurs, it is not the job of political leaders to accuse each other, but to solve the problem,” Bagis said.
Turkey and Slovakia are both members of the NATO and therefore have their share in the security in the world. Slovaks are happy, that Turkey has chosen the European path. “Slovakia supports and backs Turkey in these efforts,” said Dzurinda, adding, that we are willing to offer experience from the process, which is not easy. Bagis would appreciate if Turkey was, together with the countries of the western Balkans, invited to EU summits again.
Both partners also discussed the issue of Cyprus. Dzurinda is planning to visit the island in April. The Turks are looking forward to his visit, hoping that he will help find the solution of the island’s problems.
SITA