On January 22, 2025, Türkiye's Ambassador to the EU, Faruk Kaymakci, emphasized the importance of enhancing Türkiye-EU relations during a press briefing. He outlined the ambition to remove barriers to the Association Council, focusing on critical areas such as economy, transportation, energy, and politics.
Kaymakci noted the easing of tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean and improving relations with Greece as pivotal factors driving the need for cooperation. He expressed hopes for a joint Turkish-EU declaration at the upcoming April 2024 summit, despite setbacks in discussions at the December 2023 summit.
The Ambassador highlighted the EU's commitment to reactivating the High Level Economic Dialogue and the European Investment Bank's operations in Türkiye. He criticized the EU for not meeting Türkiye's expectations regarding concrete steps towards these initiatives, urging for a clear timeline for their implementation.
Kaymakci remarked on the significant developments in 2024, including the invitation of Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to an EU informal meeting, marking a renewed commitment to the EU membership process. He reiterated the need to unblock dialogues in various sectors, including transportation and energy.
In a related context, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, addressed the EU's future budget during a discussion at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He urged that the EU must treat candidate countries as members and include funding for their accession in the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) covering 2028-2034.
Sybiha emphasized that the EU's expansion is crucial for its geopolitical strategy, especially following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He pointed out that Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia have made significant progress in their accession processes, with negotiations set to begin in 2024.
During a panel discussion, Sybiha stressed that the EU must recognize the contributions of Ukraine to European security and stability. He projected that under Polish and Danish presidencies, Ukraine aims to open at least two negotiation clusters by 2025.
Despite challenges, including budgetary concerns and the complexity of the EU's decision-making processes, there is a renewed optimism among EU leaders regarding enlargement. The discussions highlighted the necessity for a performance-based approach to accession as candidate countries strive to meet the EU's requirements.