BUDAPEST AHEAD OF E.U. ENLARGEMENT BUDAPEST, Feb 4(Hina) - The forthcoming enlargement of the European Union is the most important act of creative reconciliation in the process of Europe's unification and the victory of all those
involved in the process, European Parliament President Pat Cox said in Budapest on Wednesday in his introductory remarks at the 16th meeting between the European Parliament president and the parliament presidents of countries involved in the enlargement process.
BUDAPEST, Feb 4(Hina) - The forthcoming enlargement of the European
Union is the most important act of creative reconciliation in the
process of Europe's unification and the victory of all those involved
in the process, European Parliament President Pat Cox said in Budapest
on Wednesday in his introductory remarks at the 16th meeting between
the European Parliament president and the parliament presidents of
countries involved in the enlargement process.#L#
Opening the first working session entitled "the European Union on the
eve of enlargement", Cox recalled that this was the last meeting in
the present form, because ten countries participating in the gathering
would become full EU members on May 1. He added that the door to
Western Balkan countries was already open so that similar meetings
could be organised in the future.
The European Parliament president promised full support to the Western
Balkan countries in the process of accession, stressing that
everything would depend on the ability of individual countries to
implement reforms and that the pace of the process would be suited to
each country individually.
Before Cox, the meeting was addressed by Hungarian Parliament
President Katalin Szili, who said she was particularly pleased with
the attendance of the parliament presidents of five Western Balkan
countries, and noted that Hungary had always tried to serve as a
bridge between the West and the East, and the North and the South.
In order for us to truly become a united Europe, we who are now
entering the EU will make every effort to help countries that will
join later, Szili said.
The second working session, entitled "Parliamentary cooperation
between the enlarged Union and the countries in the process of
stabilisation and accession", will be held in the afternoon. A keynote
speech will be delivered by the head of the European Parliament
delegation for relations with Southeast Europe, Doris Pack. The
meeting will also be addressed by Croatian Parliament President
Vladimir Seks.
The meeting is being attended by the parliament presidents of 10
countries joining the EU on May 1, three candidate countries
(Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey), and five countries covered by the
stabilisation and accession process.
The meeting is expected to close with the adoption of a joint
declaration from which, according to Seks, Croatia can expect support
for its ambitions to join the EU as soon as possible.
(Hina) vm