Brussels, 19/06/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission and the Turkish government agree on themes of common interest and are setting up a joint coordination committee.
Meeting in Stuttgart on 14 June, European Commissioner Stefan Füle (enlargement), his counterpart responsible for energy, Günther Oettinger, and the Turkish ministers responsible for European affairs, Egemen Bagis, and Taner Yildiz (energy) agreed on themes of “common interest” with regard to enhancing energy cooperation between the EU and Turkey. This cooperation was decided upon last February, in addition to setting up a committee for coordinating the work of the experts who regularly report back on progress. Their joint work will focus on long-term prospects and outcomes, energy clusters, market integration and the development of infrastructure of mutual interest in the gas, electricity and oil domains. Work will also be undertaken in the field of international and regional energy cooperation, the promotion of renewable energies, energy efficiency, clean energy technologies, nuclear safety and protection from radiation. Brussels and Ankara will also begin very soon their joint work on projects in the gas, electricity, energy efficiency, renewables and nuclear energy fields. In a press release, the Commission emphasised: “This cooperation will contribute to a positive agenda for EU-Turkey relations in general, and it will facilitate the eventual integration of EU and Turkish energy markets. Such integration will not only increase security of energy supply in Europe and Turkey, it will also create important business opportunities.”
Turkey is an essential platform in the European strategy for energy diversification and is also at the core of the southern gas corridor project with Central Asia. (EH/transl.fl)