Roundtable Meeting with
Ms. Ana Palacio,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain (F)
April 19, 2018

On April 19, 2018, Ms. Ana Palacio, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain (F), addressed GRF and GRF Community members at a roundtable meeting. In her speech entitled “The Future of EU-Turkey Relations in a Mutating World,” Ms. Palacio touched upon the shortcomings of the EU’s enlargement policies and assessed Turkey’s prospects for full membership. Ms. Palacio suggested that the EU is still interested in further collaboration in a number of areas including the facilitation of closer economic ties, achieving visa liberalization and enhanced security cooperation.Ms. Palacio criticized the “one size fits all” approach adopted by the EU in accession negotiations and called for change, while also urging both the EU and Turkey to revisit their policies vis-a-vis each other. After her speech, Ms. Palacio answered the participants’ questions.