Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Friday discussed Turkey-EU ties, including updating the Customs Union deal, migration issue and the visa liberalization.
Çavuşoğlu and Borrell met in southern Turkey's Mediterranean coastal city of Antalya. Borrell arrived in Turkey to attend the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) Summit held Thursday and the Antalya Diplomacy Forum which will be running from June 18 to 20.
"Discussed Turkey-EU relations, especially the modernization of the Customs Union, migration and visa liberalisation," Çavuşoğlu said on Twitter.
Discussed Turkey-EU relations, especially the modernization of the Customs Union, migration and visa liberalisation w/#EU High Representative @JosepBorrellF, who is in Antalya for #SEECP and #ADF meetings.@TurkishCiOSEECP@AntalyaDF pic.twitter.com/Y9Qt70oDbV
— Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu (@MevlutCavusoglu) June 18, 2021
During the bilateral meeting, the two diplomats were expected to review "all aspects of the relations" ahead of the EU summit that will be held on June 24-25, said a statement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry Thursday.
"Steps that can be taken to enhance cooperation with the EU on the basis of Turkey's accession perspective, as well as global and regional developments will also be discussed," it added.
Also, Çavuşoğlu on Friday met several of his counterparts as part of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
Following his meeting with North Macedonia's Bujar Osmani, Çavuşoğlu said on Twitter: "Our aim is to advance our bilateral relations in every field."
He also met Congolese Foreign Minister Jean-Claude Gakosso, Kosovo's Donika Gervalla-Schwarz and Tahsin Ertuğrul of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).
On his meeting with Gervalla-Schwarz, Çavuşoğlu said he sought to activate a Joint Economic Commission mechanism and "further improve our cooperation in every field."
The Turkish foreign minister also referred to his meeting with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart, saying: "We will resolutely continue our efforts for the recognition of the equal international status and sovereign equality of the people of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus."
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum is held by the Turkish Foreign Ministry under the theme of "Innovative Diplomacy: New Era, New Approaches."
The forum hosts 12 heads of state and government, 43 foreign ministers, four former heads of state, representatives of international organizations, intellectuals, and academics.
The SEECP brought together Turkey, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Greece, Croatia, Moldova and Montenegro and "is a symbol of the common will of the countries of the region to improve cooperation among themselves and to bring lasting stability in South East Europe," according to Turkish Foreign Ministry.
