Jean Asselborn, Discours à l'occasion de de l'inauguration de l'ambassade luxembourgeoise, Turquie

Mr. Minister, dear Colleague,
Your Excellencies,
Members of the Diplomatic Community,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Dear guests,

I am delighted to be in Ankara today to open the Embassy of Luxembourg together with my colleague Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, in the presence of so many distinguished guests. When asked why Luxembourg opens an Embassy in Turkey and why now, I can only say that we need to be here and that this presence is long overdue. Since Luxembourg only has 36 Embassies in the world, the decision to open a new one is not taken lightly: We are in Turkey because it makes political and economic sense.

As a founding member of the European Union, Luxembourg has always been committed to the furthering of European integration. Turkey has a place in the European Union and we support Turkey’s aspiration to become a member. With its young population, its thriving economy and its central position in this region, Turkey will be an asset for the European Union. For the EU, Turkey doesn’t only represent a growing market. It is also an important political actor and a beacon of stability in a troubled region. Turkey has made a decisive choice in favor of Europe. By bringing Turkey and the EU closer together, the accession process has already achieved a lot: it has created the incentive for the adoption of democratic reforms which I believe, are in the interest of the Turkish people and of their fundamental rights. We look forward to the changes that will be implemented through the newly to�?be�?drafted constitution and that should bring new benefits to all Turkish citizens. As the interdependence between our countries and our societies keeps growing, it will certainly be a great advantage for the EU if Turkey remains committed to its objective of joining our common European project. I am convinced that it is also in the interest of Turkey to move forward as part of Europe, as a full member of the EU.

I remember with great pride that it was in Luxembourg where the negotiations were opened on 3 October 2005. It was a long night as we tried, in the EU, to overcome the last hurdles. I am glad that the then�?Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül finally took the plane that brought him to Luxembourg in time for the formal opening of negotiations. It was a difficult beginning and the way since then has remained quite a tortuous one. Having witnessed the opening of the negotiations, Luxembourg is particularly attached to the process. We are committed to see the negotiations progress further and I know that we are not the only ones. The negotiations are long, difficult and even frustrating, but I would like to encourage our Turkish friends to remain patient and to stay the course. For the benefit of future generations, we have to keep the process alive.

Turkey is a valuable partner for Luxembourg both politically and economically and I believe our new Embassy in Ankara will be crucial for strengthening the ties between our two countries. Economically, we can certainly do better. Our trade relations are growing, but they are starting from a relatively low level. The dynamic economy of Turkey will undoubtedly attract Luxembourg companies. Several economic and trade missions have already shown us that the interest is certainly there. In the financial field, there is solid ground for increased cooperation between Luxembourg and Istanbul who plans to establish itself an international financial center.

I hope that Luxembourg companies will take advantage of the growing market of Turkey and use it as a platform for the surrounding region. Likewise, Turkish companies should use Luxembourg as a gateway to Western Europe. Politically, there could be no better moment for the opening of an Embassy in Ankara. With much of the Arab region in turmoil, we all look up to Turkey who has been able to find its own way as a democratic country with a longstanding Muslim heritage, a bridge between Europe and the Middle East and Asia. The Arab spring can be an opportunity for Turkey and the European Union to work together on the process of reforms of the countries of the Middle East and North Africa. Turkey knows the countries of the region and has a good access to most of them. It has, itself, gone through a remarkable process of change over the years. Europe and Turkey have a common interest in the stability and prosperity of all the countries in their surroundings, including the South�?East of Europe. The contribution of the Turkish foreign policy in dealing with the recent events in the Middle East has been a decisive one. Among the many elements that need to be underlined, I would like to mention three that have been particularly significant:

First, it was very courageous of President Gül to visit Iran this year, as this country was experiencing popular revolts and to denounce the violence that the Government used against the civilian population, mostly young people.

Second, I admire Prime Minister Erdoğan for encouraging the leaders of Egypt to adopt a secular constitution

And third, it was brave of Turkey to call upon Syria to end the violence against the citizens who are fighting for their freedom.

Turkey has a key position in the region and the EU should take advantage of it. If we, Europeans, want to remain relevant on the world stage, if we want to be a global player, we need Turkey. I much admire the initiative that Turkey took, together with Spain on the Alliance of Civilizations. The issues that we discuss in that framework, the challenges that we face in trying to solve them, are among the most important of our time.

Dear guests,
Over the last years, there has been an intensive flow of bilateral visits between cabinet members of our two countries. This has allowed us to develop friendly relations at the level of Governments. At the level of peoples, there is certainly scope for increasing knowledge about each other’s country through intensified contacts, cultural projects, student exchanges and tourism. This is a priority for the work of this new Embassy in Turkey: It is through common knowledge and common projects that we will be able to overcome misunderstandings and misperceptions. I would like to thank all those, both in Luxembourg and Turkey, who have contributed to the establishment of this embassy.

Dear guests, it gives me great pleasure to officially open the Embassy of Luxembourg in Ankara.