Slovakia understands Turkey's efforts to Join EU, says President

Slovakia and its foreign policy show an understanding of Turkey's ambitions to join the European Union, President Andrej Kiska said after receiving his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Bratislava on Tuesday. "Turkey is important for the European Union, and the European Union is important for Turkey", said Kiska. He added that Ankara needs to be assessed objectively in its accession efforts and on the basis of actual changes, reforms and compliance with criteria. He went on to acknowledge the progress that the country has made in this regard recently. "Slovakia and Turkey aren't only partners, but also friends", said the Slovak head of state. He pointed to the success that a number of Slovak businesses have enjoyed in Turkey, and specifically recognised the fact that mutual cooperation has also focused on innovations and advanced technologies in the past few years. "Turkey is a highly prospective and interesting market for Slovakia and, also important, it is accessible for small and medium-sized enterprises", he added. Kiska also praised the scrapping of the visa duty for Slovak travellers to Turkey. He noted that Slovakia has a lot to learn from Turkey as far as tourism goes, and, visa-versa, expressed his hope that Slovakia will also become just an attractive destination for Turkish holiday-makers. The Turkish official noted that Turkey was visited by 137,000 Slovaks in 2014 after the country scrapped visas for Slovak citizens in August 2013. He noted that should European countries do the same, Slovakia too would benefit from an increase in the number of Turkish tourists. In response to Turkey's move, Slovakia made the visa procedure for some categories of Turkish visa seekers easier back in August 2013. The Turkish head of state also inquired about the status of the plan to build a memorial to Turkish soldiers, who fell on Slovak soil during WW1, a move that would strengthen the existing friendship between the two countries. Lajčák informed his counterpart that the project is currently in its final phase. Erdoğan thanked Bratislava for its support to the project. Meanwhile, Kiska praised Turkey's stabilising role in the Middle East and northern Africa. "Turkey is an island of stability and prosperity in this restless world as well as a shield from threats to our security", he added.