CEI TO CONDEMN ATTACKS ON KOSOVO & ASK FOR CLOSER RELATIONS WITH EU

EU ( Editorial: --> 9166 ) BRIJUNI, June 5 (Hina) - The Central European Initiative (CEI) member-countries will condemn Serbian attacks on Kosovo and ask for stronger cooperation with the European Union at their meeting to be held on the northern Adriatic island of Brijuni from 5-6 July. The main topics of the CEI ministerial meeting are security problems in South-East Europe and CEI's getting closer to the EU. It is expected that the assembly of representatives of 16 member countries will in a special statement on Kosovo condemn the Serbian violence in Kosovo and express concern over the possibility of the conflict spreading across the Yugoslav border. Slovenia is suggesting the harshest condemnation of the Serb violence in Kosovo, and Bosnia-Herzegovina is ready to come out with its own statement in case it is not satisfied with the condemnation of the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's regime. In the draft of the final document CEI countries are calling on the EU to consider a political meeting between the CEI troika plus Italy's representative and the EU troika along with a European Commission representative, so that relations could be advanced, especially in regards to the process of expanding the EU to Eastern Europe. The CEI countries, excluding Austria and Italy, were former socialist countries and are now in transition, which represents exclusive space for EU expansion. The call for the European Union to strengthen political dialogue and cooperation suggests the strategic interest of most CEI countries in being admitted to the EU. CEI members believe that the EU expansion is the most important process for creating political stability, economic progress and security in Europe. The EU has started a process of admission of 11 countries including seven CEI members. The CEI is a regional association which consists of 16 countries: Albania, Austria, Belorussia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldavia, Poland, Rumania, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Ukraine. Croatia became a member of CEI in 1992 and is this year presiding over the organisation. (hina) jn bag/rml 051715 MET jun 98