As is known, the first European Conference was held in London on 12 March 1998 with the participation of the Heads of State and Government of the European Union Member States and the candidate countries.

Turkey, at that time, made it clear that she would not participate in the European Conference, due to the negative atmosphere created in Turkey-EU relations, by the Luxembourg European Council of 1997 where the EU's enlargement strategy was laid down and Turkey was discriminated against.

Now that, in the new era in our relations with the EU after the Helsinki European Council where Turkey's candidate status was recognised and declared officially, an invitation extended by the EU's French Presidency was accepted and a delegation headed by our Foreign Minister will participate in the European Conference to be held, at the level of Foreign Ministers, in Sochaux-Montbeliard, France, on 23 November 2000.

In the European Conference where issues of organised crime, environment, foreign and security policy, competition economies and regional cooperation were discussed previously, the candidate countries will be informed this time, of the progress achieved so far by the EU within the framework of the Intergovernmental Conference in which EU's institutional reforms are currently being discussed.