EU Seeks to Resolve Austrian Doubts Over Turkey
Turkey EUEuropean Union diplomats this week will seek to resolve the dispute between Austria and other EU governments that has become the chief remaining obstacle to the start of membership negotiations with Turkey.The way ahead for the membership talks with Ankara, scheduled to begin next Monday, was largely cleared last week by a deal thatsatisfied the main concerns of France, Cyprus and Greece. But Austria maintains that the negotiations should leave the door open for a "partnership" between Turkey and the EU rather than focusing exclusively on full membership. In addition, it is calling for stalled membership negotiations with Croatia to begin although Austrian diplomats insist the two issues are not linked. "We are continuing our work of persuasion [on Turkey]," Ursula Plassnik, Austrian foreign minister, told the FT. "There is not much support among governments, but what we are reflectingis a responsible and moderate approach that many people across Europe not only in Austria are expressing."
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