Monday, July 18, 2005

EUobserver.com-Balkan EU membership should come before Turkey, says Austrian minister

"Balkan EU membership should come before Turkey, says Austrian minister
18.07.2005 - 09:57 CET | By Lucia Kubosova

Croatia and other Balkan countries have more of a 'right' to be in the EU than Turkey, the Austrian finance minister has said in an interview with the Financial Times.

Karl-Heinz Grasser, whose country will chair the EU in the first half of next year, has suggested that full membership of the bloc is not a realistic proposal for Turkey."

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