France, Strasburg / Trend , corr. E. Madjidli/ Rene Van den Linden, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), welcomed steps taken by Turkey to join the EU. During the press conference held in Strasburg, Mr. Rene Van den Linden, stated that EU consists of several countries with significant Muslim communities, and the fact that Turkey is an overwhelmingly Muslim country is not a problem.
The PACE President expressed his satisfaction during his recent visit to Cyprus stating that the visit gave him a much greater insight into the obstacles to re-establish peace, stability and unity that this beautiful island, with its rich history and culture, deserves. He also added that he had invited Mehmet Ali Talat, the President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus to pay a visit to the Council of Europe in October this year.