VIENNA, March 24 (Hina) - Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner on Wednesday welcomed the forthcoming accession of ten new members of the European Union, and said that Southeast Europe was very important to Austria and that
she would continue supporting the region's economic development and efforts to join the EU.
VIENNA, March 24 (Hina) - Austrian Foreign Minister Benita
Ferrero-Waldner on Wednesday welcomed the forthcoming accession of ten
new members of the European Union, and said that Southeast Europe was
very important to Austria and that she would continue supporting the
region's economic development and efforts to join the EU.#L#
Speaking on the second day of an event called Study Days of the
European People's Party in Vienna, the minister said that Bulgaria and
Romania were very close to joining the EU and that the two countries
might be admitted to the bloc on 1 January 2007 if they fulfilled the
set requirements.
As for Croatia, Ferrero-Waldner said that her country was the
staunchest supporter of Croatia's admission to the EU. "Croatia,
however, has yet to complete its homework and fulfil its obligations,
and we must provide it with full support along the way," she said.
"The latest events in Kosovo show that a lot of work is to be done on
its internal security and stability," the Austrian minister said.
Croatia's Prime Minister and leader of the Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) party, Ivo Sanader, is scheduled to address the event later in
the day on the subject of "The Union and Its New Neighbours: A New
Project for Europe".
(Hina) vm