(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The EU Tuesday called for an intensification of the dialogue with Turkey in the area of foreign policy and security.
"The need for this has become dramatically more pressing over the recent months. We acknowledge that Turkey plays an important regional role. The EU continues to encourage Turkey to develop its foreign policy as a complement to and in coordination with the EU," said the new EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn.
Speaking at the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee in the European Parliament in Brussels he stressed that it "is also important that we step up cooperation on the issue of Syrian and Iraqi refugees." "We praise Turkey for its enormous efforts accomplished so far, with over 1.5 million Syrian refugees on its territory. The Commission is working on developing an additional package of financial support," he noted.
He urged Turkey to respect Cyprus's sovereign rights over its Exclusive Economic Zone; to show restraint; and to avoid any more statements or actions that could cause more friction.
"At the same time, it is very important that all parties de-escalate tension and act constructively. We stand firmly behind the UN envoy Espen Barth Eide in his efforts to get the communities in Cyprus to resume the settlement talk," he added.
Hahn, however, underlined the European perspective of Turkey "is a long way to go."
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