Kouchner: Turkey and Russia should join projects within the EU

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey and Russia should be allowed to join select projects within the European Union's planned partnership with its former-Soviet neighbors, EU foreign ministers said today. At a meeting in Brussels, EU diplomats agreed that "the six countries concerned by the Eastern Partnership should not exclude, and should even invite in on a case-by-case basis and not as permanent members ... Russia and Turkey," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.



That inclusion would not stretch to projects on visa liberalization or free trade, for which separate negotiations are being carried out, but "in general terms, (we are) open to third-party participation on a case-by-case project basis," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt stated.



But Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, who chaired the meeting, appeared to play down the idea, saying that in theory Japan and the United States could also take part in selected projects. "Anyone who wants to work with us is welcome. We are open to cooperation with many countries," he said.



In early December, the European Commission unveiled plans to spend an additional 350 million euros (449 million dollars) - on top of the 250 million already allocated - to help promote stability and prosperity in Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Moldova.



Noting that the commission currently spends about two-thirds of its regional cooperation money on the EU's southern neighbours, EU foreign-affairs commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said she hoped member states would endorse the commission's eastern proposal at a summit on March 19-20.



The Eastern Partnership is meant to be one of the highlights of the Czech presidency. But its success is by no means assured, with some member states in southern Europe fearing that a major increase of funding to the EU's eastern neighbours would shift its strategic focus away from North Africa and the Middle East. The Eastern Partnership is expected to be formally launched at a dedicated summit taking place in Prague on May 7, The Earth Times reports.