MERKEL, SARKOZY DENOUNCE EU ENLARGEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.05.2009 16:36 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The leaders of Germany and France – gearing up
for next month’s European Parliament elections – on Sunday denounced
the idea of expanding the European Union indefinitely to include new
members such as Turkey.

Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, who has advocated having a vaguely
defined partnership with the largely Muslim Turkey, said "we cannot
take in everyone in Europe as a full member.

"We have to talk about the borders of this Europe," Merkel said at
an event organized by her conservative Christian Democrats before the
June 7 European Parliament vote. "It makes no sense if there are ever
more members, and we can’t decide anything any more."

"It is right that we say to people in the European election campaign
… our common position is: a privileged partnership for Turkey,
but no full membership," she said.

Turkey began EU membership talks in 2005, despite opposition voiced in
Germany and France. Neither country, however, has blocked the talks,
and Germany’s other main coalition party – the Social Democrats –
supports EU membership for Turkey.

President Barack Obama has also urged the EU to embrace Turkey as a
full member.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, a longtime opponent of Turkish
membership, last week advocated discussing a common economic and
security forum with Turkey as an alternative.

"When Angela Merkel says Europe must have borders, she is right –
because a Europe without borders would be a Europe without a will,
without identity, without values," he said at Sunday’s event, where
he was a guest of honor as France’s leading conservative.

He was quoted earlier Sunday as telling Germany’s Bild am Sonntag
newspaper: "Let us stop making vain promises to Turkey and study with
it the creation of a big common economic and human space."

Sarkozy also underlined France’s support for Germany’s bid for a
permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. France already is a
permanent member, AP reported.