BELGIUM–The Vote on the draft resolution on "Turkey’s progress toward accession" which should have been voted on Wednesday by the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament was postponed due to practical reasons–reported the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (ANC of Europe).
The major reason for delay was the late translation of the numerous amendmen’s. These amendmen’s were submitted only on Monday afternoon to the various political groups–which did not leave time to them to prepare for the vote.
The European Parliament resolution will finally be voted on the first week of September 4 to 7 by the Foreign Affairs Committee and eventually on the last week of September in the plenary session.
On Monday–members of the leading European Parliament factions offered to introduce the Armenian Genocide issue and opening of borders with Armenia without any preconditions as the items of the agenda of the EU-Turkey talks.
The EU can freeze talks with Turkey on EU accession–stated Finnish Premier Matti Vanhanen–whose country assumed the EU presidency on July 1–the Associated Press reported..
"There is always an opportunity to stop the talks. I think Turkey knows it," Vanhanen remarked.
The Finnish Premier also underscored that official Ankara should fulfill all conditions for continuing talks on EU accession–specifically normalize relations with EU member Cyprus.
