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bne October 2023 Southeast Europe I 43
to west has to pass through Turkey.”
On September 17, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in pointed remarks made to the Financial Times, said that “experts had doubts that
the primary goal [of the India-Middle East corridor] was rationality and
India-Middle East-Europe trade corridor plan agreed at the G20 summit. The trade route as outlined so far would transport goods from the subcontinent through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel to European markets. It is backed by both the US and EU.
The Iraq Development Road plan would rely on 1,200 km (746 miles) of high- speed rail and a parallel road network.
Analysts, however, are doubtful over the plan’s feasibility, pointing to challenging financial and security issues.
“Turkey lacks the financing to realise the full scope of the project, and seems to be counting on UAE and Qatari support to build the proposed infrastructure,” Emre Peker, Europe director at the Eurasia Group
think tank, told the FT. “For that to happen, the Gulf states would need to be convinced of good returns
on investment – something that is not imminently evident with the [Development Road] project.”
Peker was further reported as saying that there were also “issues around security and stability [in Iraq] that threaten
both construction and the long-term feasibility of the project”.
“There is no corridor without Turkey. The most convenient line for traffic from east to west has to pass through Turkey”
efficiency” and suggested that “more geostrategic concerns” were at play. “A trade route does not only mean meeting trade alone. It’s also a reflection of geostrategic competition,” Fidan was quoted as saying.
The FT reported that Turkey was now in “intensive negotiations” with regional partners over an alternative to the
The alternative touted by Turkey is referred to as the “Iraq Development Road initiative”. It would see goods transited from the Iraqi Gulf port of Grand Faw to Turkey and onwards to Europe. Fidan insisted to the UK daily that “intensive negotiations” were under way with Iraq, Qatar and the UAE on this project, which would be forged “within the next few months”.
European Council president says Western Balkans and EU should prepare for enlargement by 2030
Valentina Dimitirevska in Skopje
European Council President Charles Michel said at the opening of
Bled forum in Slovenia on August 28 that both the EU and the Western Balkans should be fully prepared for EU enlargement by 2030.
Michel said that in 2003, the Thessaloniki Summit solidified the European perspective for the Western Balkans, but the gradual pace of the
EU integration process has left many dissatisfied, both within the region and the EU itself.
“To be credible, I believe we must talk about timing and homework. And I have
a proposal. As we prepare the EU’s next strategic agenda, we must set ourselves a clear goal. I believe we must be ready
– on both sides – to enlarge by 2030,” Michel said at the forum titled Solidarity for Global Security.
Michel said he would advocate for the start of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Moreover, he anticipates a reevaluation of Bosnia & Herzegovina and Georgia's positions.
"There is still a lot of work to do. It will
be difficult and sometimes painful. For the future member states and for the EU," Michel warned.
While acknowledging that addressing historical conflicts might prove more arduous than implementing reforms, Michel underscored their inevitability.
Drawing parallels with the EU's founding members, he emphasised that reconciliation is an integral aspect of successful cooperation. He said that past conflicts have no place within the EU.
He further stated that expansion continues to be a process determined by a state's merits and that joining the EU entails assuming obligations alongside advantages. To effectively undertake these commitments and enjoy the
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