Germany and France have agreed a common position on financing European Union enlargement and on Turkey's EU membership talks, the two countries' leaders said tonight.
After talks with French President Jacques Chirac at Storkow castle outside Berlin, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said: "We are both convinced that France and Germany will present a common position on all the issues at Copenhagen and that the common position will result in a strong signal toward Turkey."
Mr Schroeder has been saying for several weeks that a "clear signal" should be given to Turkey at the Copenhagen summit on December 12th-13th on when it can begin its long-awaited negotations on joining the EU.
However he said details of the Franco-German position would not be divulged before next week.
Sources close to the delegations said both countries want to propose that their EU partners meet at the end of 2004 to discuss the progress Turkey has made toward meeting EU membership criteria.
Progress would have to be made in terms of democratisation and economic reform, the sources said.
Turkey was granted the right to become a candidate to begin talks on joining the EU at the Helsinki summit in 1999, but the talks have been held up by fears over its human rights record and political and economic stability.
AFP