Turkish MFA pleased over Serbia given candidate status in EU

ANKARA (A.A) - March 4, 2012 - Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) announced Saturday that they welcomed a decision of EU heads of state and government on Friday to give Serbia a candidate status for EU membership. In response to a question, Spokesperson for the Turkish MFA, Selcuk Unal, said that they were pleased with the EU decision on Serbia. The EU decision will contribute to peace and stability in the Balkans, Unal stressed. Turkey attaches special importance to Serbia, seen as a key country in the Balkans and a neighbor of Turkey, and strongly supports this country's drift towards Europe and Atlantic, Unal said. Turkish President Abdullah Gul phoned his Serbian counterpart Boris Tadic and congratulated him for receiving a candidate status, Unal also said.