LJUBLJANA, June 12 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel has called on the European Union to adhere to its schedule for the completion of negotiations on the admission of new members, warning at the same the Slovene public
that joining Europe's most developed countries could be slowed down for reasons beyond Ljubljana's control.
LJUBLJANA, June 12 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel
has called on the European Union to adhere to its schedule for the
completion of negotiations on the admission of new members, warning
at the same the Slovene public that joining Europe's most developed
countries could be slowed down for reasons beyond Ljubljana's
control. #L#
"It is unlikely that the EU will admit a small number of candidate-
countries. The expansion will occur as a package arrangement, and
if necessary, we will have to wait for other candidates," the STA
agency quoted Rupel as saying to the Maribor-based "Vecer" daily.
The Slovene minister at the same time called on the EU to adhere to
its agenda for the admission of new members.
He repeated that Slovenia was ready to take on all the obligations
for membership even before the year's end. A delay in admission to
the EU would have a negative effect on the public opinion in
Slovenia, he said. The current situation relating to the completion
of talks on agriculture and other commerce-related chapters of
accession negotiations and the uncertainty of the Irish referendum
on the ratification of the Nice Agreement might make Slovenia and
other candidates become "hostage" to events they cannot influence,
he said.
Apart from elections in some European countries, Rupel believes
that possible problems regarding Cyprus's membership in the light
of relations between Greece and Turkey could complicate the
expansion of the EU as well.
(hina) sp sb rml