Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu visited Belgium to have meetings with counterparts from European Union (EU), NATO and Belgium.

Minister Çavuşoğlu started his meetings in Brussels with the European Parliament (EP) and met Ryszard Czarnecki, Co-Chair of Turkey-EU Friendship Group and Sergey Lagodinski, Co-Chair of Turkey-EU Joint Parliamentary Commission.

Minister Çavuşoğlu stated that we attached importance to parliamentary diplomacy, that EP needed to be constructive to revive relations between Turkey and the EU, and that Turkey-EU Friendship Group could play an important role in creating a positive agenda with the EU.

Later that day, Minister Çavuşoğlu met with Josep Borrell, EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security Affairs and Vice-President of the European Commission.

Minister Çavuşoğlu noted that we wished to turn a new page with the EU, that the 18 March Statement should be revised with all its elements, that we should work together for a positive agenda, and emphasized that the preparatory works of the visits to Turkey by Presidents of the European Council and Commission were also discussed during the meeting.

Within the scope of his Brussels visit, Minister Çavuşoğlu also met with high level European Commission officials including President Ursula von der Leyen, Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, Commissioner for Neighbourly Relations and Enlargement Negotiations Olivér Várhelyi and Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.

Minister Çavuşoğlu drew attention to the need of revitalizing our EU accession process, implementation of the visa liberalization for Turkish citizens to the Schengen area, modernization of the Customs Union, as well as the need for enhanced cooperation in the fight against terrorism and irregular migration, and underlined that we should fight against rising racism, discrimination and Islamofobia in Europe all together.

Finally on the same day, Minister Çavuşoğlu met with Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes of Belgium.

Minister Çavuşoğlu stated that the year 2023 would mark the 185th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our countries, that they discussed the issues related to Turkish citizens, who are the symbol of the culture of “living together” in Belgium, that we should not allow anything to shadow our bilateral relations, and that we would be pleased with Belgium's support in our relations with the EU.

On the same day in the morning, Minister Çavuşoğlu participated in the 17th Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) under the theme “the New Normal and Safe and Healthy Tourism” held via videoconference.

At the meeting, Turkey’s ACD Chairmanship which was originally foreseen for the term 2019-2020 was extended until September 2021 and the Ankara Declaration, a comprehensive final document on future cooperation perspectives within the ACD was adopted as well.

On the second day of his program in Brussels, Minister Çavuşoğlu held a meeting with Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg of NATO.

Minister Çavuşoğlu noted that Turkey assumed critical and leading roles in ensuring the Alliance's deterrence and defense, that we would continue to support NATO Missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that we should further strengthen unity and solidarity within the Alliance.

On the same day, Minister Çavuşoğlu also met with EP Turkey Rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor and expressed that EP should abandon its prejudiced and discriminatory approach towards Turkey, that it should play a constructive role in developing our relations, and pointed out that the 2021 Turkey Report should be fair and balanced, and underline our candidate status.

Later that day, Minister Çavuşoğlu held a meeting on modalities of a constructive dialogue between Turkey and the EP with İlhan Küçük, Member of EP and our kinsman in Bulgaria, and emphasized that our kinsmen in Bulgaria were a friendship bridge in our relations with the EU.

Finally, Minister Çavuşoğlu had a meeting with President Charles Michel of the European Council and conveyed him the invitation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Minister Çavuşoğlu stated that we were willing to update the 18 March Statement and the Customs Union with the EU, that no results could be achieved with the language of sanctions, and that we should prepare together a roadmap for a positive agenda in our relations.