G20 nations

BELGRADE - The Italian government will continue its efforts aimed at making the Serbia-EU talks increasingly profitable and progressive, Italy's Secretary of State for European Affairs Sandro Gozi has told the Danas daily.

Ankara and Brussels will continue to work on Turkey’s efforts to harmonize its legislation on issues concerning judiciary and fundamental rights along with criteria set in Chapter 23 during EU Commissioner Stefan Füle’s two-day trip to Ankara.

Turkish Minister Yazıcı (C), Undersecretary of South Korean Customs Administration Baek Un-chan (L) and his Turkish counterpart pose at the ceremony. Turkey moved to develop its multi-billion dollar bilateral trade with South Korea yesterday by signing a deal to harmonize their customs systems – the first such deal between the Asian nation and a European country.

Illegal border crossing at the EU external borders increased sharply in 2013, rising to over 107,000 from 75,000 in 2012, an EU agency reports.

Turkey will bring up the customs union deal for re-negotiation with the European Union by June, Turkey's Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci said.

“By June, we’re going to re-open for negotiation the Customs Union Agreement, to which no sovereign independent state should agree,” Zeybekci said at a meeting with Turkish businesspeople, quoted by Hurryiet Daily News.