Slovakia advocates the continuation of EU enlargement, it is inevitable, said Fico welcoming some 200 participants from 31 countries and European institutions, including Croatian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks, who gathered in Bratislava for a two-day conference of the parliament presidents from EU member and candidate countries.
We do not advocate new negotiations on the constitutional agreement but an agreement on some smaller changes, Fico said. One of the priorities that have not changed (that must be preserved) is enlargement, Fico said, stressed that enlargement should not be linked with the ratification of the constitutional agreement.
Fico stressed that enlargement to include countries with European prospects could have only positive results and prosperity.
Speaking about Kosovo, Fico said that it is important for the international community to continue adopting standards so as to achieve a successful solution to the Kosovo issue, but added that it was important to take into consideration 'sensitive arguments of the Serb party'.
A long-term solution for the Balkans is its integration with Europe, the Slovak PM said.
The conference in Bratislava, that is expected to focus on the main issues and challenges the European Union is faced with, was opened by Slovak Parliament Speaker Pavlov Paska who said that the key topic of the two-day event was Europe's future, adding that among other things, the future must be be based on enlargement.
The European Union must find absorbing capacity to be able to include those countries that are attending today's event as guests, Paska said, alluding to EU candidate countries that were also invited to the Bratislava conference.
EU Parliaments' presidents are meeting once a year and Croatia has been taking part in these meetings since 2005 when it received the status of an EU candidate country.
Paska said Slovakia was prepared to assist the countries in the accession process and all those aspiring to join the EU.
The Slovak officials underlined their country's disappointment with the discontinuation of the process of ratifying the European Constitution, which the German Presidency of the EU included back in the agenda.
Apart from Europe's future, the Bratislava conference will also focus on the inter-parliamentary cooperation, raising national European awareness, assisting parliaments in transition countries and on Ukraine.
Croatian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks will speak about issue concerning the EU future, notably the adoption of a new constitutional framework that should enable an efficient functioning of the EU and new enlargement waves.
Sels is also scheduled to meet representatives of the Croatian national minority in Slovakia and hold some bilateral meetings.