30/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with Austrian newspaper Die Presse on 28 July, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, said Turkey was not yet ready to join the European Union in the immediate future. The final decision on Turkey's accession would only be taken at the end of a long process of negotiations, he added. Barroso said he was reluctant to decide on the EU's external boundaries, the way France and other countries wish. He said in the history of Europe,, the word boundary was too frequently associated with hatred and war and at the end of the day, a country joining the EU was always a political decision which should also take account of the EU's capacity to welcome new members. The accession negotiations with Turkey were launched following unanimous agreement by the EU member stats and had to continue as a matter of credibility for the EU, explained Barroso. (hb)