Turkey, Macedonia sign EU cooperation protocol

ISTANBUL - Anatolia News Agency

Turkey has urged the European Union to start the negotiation process with Macedonia as part of a peace project, EU Minister Egemen Bağış said during the signing of an EU cooperation protocol between two countries.

“With this agreement, we will establish common working grounds and closer cooperation between Turkey and Macedonia through the EU,” Bağış said. “We believe Macedonia’s membership to the EU and NATO to be very important both for Macedonia and the EU. We believe the EU should accelerate the membership process for Macedonia and other countries,” he added.

Stressing that the protocol was important for both sides, Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Teuta Arifi said there would be increased diplomatic ties between countries on the subject of the EU within the framework of the protocol.