Commenting on the tension between Turkey and Russia, a major contemporary agenda topic, the France's ambassador to Ankara, Charles Fries, said the Akkuyu Nuclear Plant Project has not been suspended, though Fries does not want to speculate on the future of the project. "Despite this, I can confirm that France is continuing its active involvement in the nuclear energy sector with Turkey, especially in terms of the ATMEA reactor project for the Sinop nuclear plant project," he added. The ambassador also emphasized the importance of the Sinop project for establishing Turkey's independence in the energy sector, noting that both the French and Japanese companies involved remain devoted to the project.
Fries said cooperation between Turkey and France is robust, especially regarding counterterrorism, the economy and Turkey's ascension to the European Union. He stressed that, in addition to extending support for the 22nd chapter of the EU ascension process in November 2013, France also supported the commencing of discussions for the 17th chapter. "It was previously decided to revive negotiations between the EU and Turkey on Nov. 29, 2015, and now the European Commission should continue preparations to open negotiations for new chapters, allowing negotiations to continue at their own pace," Fries said. He also stressed that both countries should continue to strive for mutually beneficial partnerships without prejudice with regards to the results of the ascension process.
Emphasizing the significance of developing sustainable urban structures, the French ambassador added that they are planning to improve future Turkish-French partnerships in promising sectors such as energy, transportation, the environment, health and agricultural development. He said economic relations with Turkey should be improved as well since it is estimated that the trade volume between the two countries will increase to $20 billion from $14 billion. While this level is considered good overall, the desired levels of cooperation, trade and partnerships have not been achieved.
