LJUBLJANA, Oct 14 (Hina) - A meeting of foreign ministers of Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary, which focused on the countries' imminent admission to the Euroepan Union, ended in Slovenia's Portoroz
on Monday evening.
LJUBLJANA, Oct 14 (Hina) - A meeting of foreign ministers of
Austria, Slovenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and
Hungary, which focused on the countries' imminent admission to the
Euroepan Union, ended in Slovenia's Portoroz on Monday evening.
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A joint statement issued after the meeting states that Austria,
currently the only member of the EU from the region of the so-called
regional Central European partnership, advocates the countries'
completing, as soon as possible, talks on full membership in what is
considered the most demanding round of negotiations, focusing on
financial conditions for admission.
The ministers and state secretaries of the mentioned countries
agreed on deepening regional cooperation in a number of areas,
including social issues, as well as on continuing the established
police cooperation. They also initiated the work of joint
commissions for the creation of a body of texts from the joint
history of Central European states.
"We have already proven that we are constructive and responsible
partners who will be able to contribute to the enlarged Europe," the
host of the meeting, Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, said,
pointing out his country's interest in cooperating with countries
of South-eastern Europe.
"Slovenia is aware that its border with Croatia will become the
European Union's outer border on the day Slovenia joins the EU, but
Europe's expansion is a process which should continue even after
that," Rupel said, adding that further expansion was a guarantee of
the EU's stability and development.
Slovenia and countries of the Central European partnership can act
as a bridge towards countries of the Western Balkans, which will
create a connection between Baltic and Mediterranean countries,
Rupel said.
(hina) lml