"Prime Minister (Janez) Jansa said in Strasbourg on Wednesday Slovenia would on behalf of the European Union initiate the start of negotiations with Macedonia by the start of 2008 at the latest when Slovenia is scheduled to assume the EU presidency. This does not mean that Macedonia has to wait for Slovenia's presidency, but that it still needs to do a lot of work," Rupel told a news conference after talking to his Macedonian counterpart Antonio Milosovski..
Rupel also said that Slovenia and Macedonia would continue to nurture good relations, adding that his country supported Macedonia on its path to the EU and in the implementation of necessary reforms. He said Slovenia would also support Macedonia's joining NATO.
Rupel and Milosovski agreed that the two countries shared a similar position on the situation in the region.