(VOVworld) - Turkey and the European Union on Friday agreed to ease tension that had darkened Ankara’s prospects of joining the bloc in the wake of the failed July 15 coup.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevluet Cavusoglu. (Photo: almanar.com.lb)

The agreement was reached during a visit to Turkey by EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn.

This marked the highest-level EU visit to Turkey since the coup. The two EU leaders said that new chapters in Ankara’s accession process should be opened and that visa liberalization was still on the table.

Mogherini said after talks with Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and EU Minister Omer Celik that the key element that the EU and Ankara agreed on was the need to increase talks and show full respect.

Mogherini said the main outcome of the meeting was a strong recommitment to dialogue and common work on all strands of cooperation between the two sides.