BRUSSELS
A group of Europe-based think tanks that had initiated the European Global Strategy (EGS) have advised the European Union to see Turkey as "a vital partner."
Think tanks from from Italia, Spain, Sweden and Poland said in the jointly-drafted EGS that Turkey, the United States, China and Russia had special significance in "linking regional and global ambitions of the European Union."
"In linking the EU’s regional and global ambitions, four countries are of particular importance: the United States, which is the EU ’s only global partner and with which it should forge a new Atlantic community; Turkey, with which an enhanced political partnership should be agreed even before its EU accession; and China and Russia, with which targeted partnerships should focus on mutual interests," the report stated.
EGS also stated "the EU should persevere with the current process of enlargement to Turkey, the Western Balkans and Iceland as a way of promoting its long-term interests, expanding the internal market, increasing its energy security and adding to its strategic depth."
- Turkey' s accession to EU will bring significant mutual benefits
About Turkey's performance for accession to the EU, report said "Negotiations with candidates for EU membership should proceed on the basis of the Copenhagen criteria and be completed within a reasonable timeframe. This is particularly true of Turkey, a candidate country that is displaying a growing capacity for international action of its own".
"There are powerful reasons why Turkey needs to be an integral part of Europe’s future, and its accession will bring significant mutual benefits. Without waiting for accession negotiations to be completed, the EU and Turkey should agree an enhanced political partnership encompassing (but not limited to) deeper cooperation in the area of foreign and security policy, including for example a cooperation agreement between Turkey and the European Defense Agency (EDA ) and enhanced participation in EU civilian and military missions," the report highlighted.
The report also noted that "a renewed partnership with Turkey will accelerate its convergence with EU values and interests while bringing greater stability and prosperity to its neighborhood and beyond."
The report was a co-work of Elcano Royal Institute - RIE (Madrid), the Institute for International Affairs- IAI (Rome), Polish Institute of International Affairs - PISM (Warsaw), and the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (Stockholm).
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