First-ever Trilateral Political Consultations With Finland and Turkey Took Place on Secretary General Level
09.02.2010
Trilateral political consultations between Estonia, Finland and Turkey took place on Monday, 8 February in Ankara. It was the first time ever the consultations were held together with Finland. “Since Estonia and Finland’s policies towards Turkey are practically identical, we decided to hold consultations together with Finland this time,” said Foreign Ministry Secretary General Marten Kokk. The secretary general said that during the meeting with his Finnish colleague Pertti Torstila and Turkish colleague Feridun Sinirlioglu they primarily focused on Turkey’s accession to the European Union.
Foreign Ministry Secretary General Marten Kokk stated that Estonia and Finland continue to support Turkey’s desire to join the European Union. “Estonia is still a strong supporter of Turkey joining the European Union. Although Turkey has made great progress in implementing reforms, there is still much to be done, and the pace of reforms should be accelerated so that Turkey can move forward and open new chapters,” noted Kokk.
Secretary General Kokk said that Turkey’s primary challenges are related to building up rule of law to ensure democracy and the functioning of the economy, which are essential prerequisites for joining the European Union. Secretary General Kokk confirmed that Estonia is prepared to share its accession experiences with Turkey. Secretary General Kokk also said that the parties involved should be actively working on resolving the Cyprus problem. “We feel that it is necessary to successfully conclude the Cyprus dialogue and resolve the island’s problems under UN auspices. This is vital for the people of Cyprus as well as Turkey and the European Union in general,” emphasised Kokk.
During their meeting, the secretaries general also addressed the situation in the Western Balkans. “Estonia firmly supports the European Union prospects of the Western Balkan countries, as they offer the region an opportunity for stability and socio-economic growth,” said Kokk. They also spent some time discussing matters related to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Recently Turkey has been active in trying to find common elements among the political communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. “The inability of the communities to agree on the political future and further reforms for the nation has created a tense situation which demands the focused attention of the international community,” Kokk noted.
Also under discussion at the meeting were matters related to the Southern Caucasus. “We should use all opportunities to gradually reach a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” said Kokk, adding that Estonia welcomes the regular meetings between the Armenian and Turkish presidents and between Azerbaijan and Armenia and supports the continuation of dialogue.
 
 
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