The 51st Meeting of the Turkey-EU Association Council will be held in Brussels on 27 May 2013 with the participation of H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.
At the 51st Meeting of the Association Council, which is the highest decision making body between Turkey and EU, and where the EU will be represented by H.E. Eamon Gilmore, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign affairs and Trade of Ireland, currently holding the Presidency of the EU Council, the developments which have taken place concerning the accession process of Turkey since the previous meeting of the Association Council as well as all the aspects of Turkey-EU relations, particularly our reform process will be reviewed and our demand for accelerating the accession process by removing the barriers created with political purposes and by opening new chapters for negotiations will be raised.
During the meeting, an exchange of views will be realized on different aspects regarding the functioning of the Customs Union and Turkey’s financial cooperation with the EU and the work towards harmonization with the acquis will be reviewed. On this occasion, international and regional issues which are of interest for both sides will be discussed.
H.E. Minister Davutoğlu, H.E. Eamon Gilmore, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign ad Trade Minister of Ireland and H.E. Stefan Füle, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy are expected to exchange views on the present state and the future of EU-Turkey relations as well as the latest developments in the neighboring regions of Turkey, particularly in the Middle East, during a working breakfast before the meeting.
Minister Davutoğlu will participate in the working dinner organized on the margins of the Foreign Affairs Council, formed by EU Ministers of Foreign Affairs upon the invitation of H.E.Catherine Ashton, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, together with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of candidate countries, where the developments in the neighboring regions, with special emphasis to Syria as well as Turkey’s relations with the EU will be discussed.