ZAGREB/BRUSSELS, May 4 (Hina) - An informal meeting of EU Foreign Ministers held in Sweden's Nykoeping, will focus on expansion of the Union, and will also focus on foreign issues such as the situation in the Balkans, the Near East
and the Korean peninsula. EU ministers will on Sunday be joined by foreign ministers of countries -- candidates for membership -- so they could make another step forward towards clearing up the remaining contentious issues surrounding the joining of new members. At the initiation of mostly Austria and Germany, the European Commission has recommended that the valid transitional period of seven years during which the movement of cheaper labour force from new member-countries towards the current would not be possible. We hope to solve the issue of the free movement of people during our chairmanship, Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, said. An informal meeting of US members is traditionally held once
ZAGREB/BRUSSELS, May 4 (Hina) - An informal meeting of EU Foreign
Ministers held in Sweden's Nykoeping, will focus on expansion of
the Union, and will also focus on foreign issues such as the
situation in the Balkans, the Near East and the Korean peninsula.
EU ministers will on Sunday be joined by foreign ministers of
countries -- candidates for membership -- so they could make
another step forward towards clearing up the remaining contentious
issues surrounding the joining of new members.
At the initiation of mostly Austria and Germany, the European
Commission has recommended that the valid transitional period of
seven years during which the movement of cheaper labour force from
new member-countries towards the current would not be possible.
We hope to solve the issue of the free movement of people during our
chairmanship, Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, said.
An informal meeting of US members is traditionally held once every
half-term in the town connected to the minister of the chairing
country.
The EU ministers will discuss foreign policy issues, including the
situation in the Balkans, particularly Macedonia, and the Korean
peninsula.
The EU is expected to again appeal for defusing tensions in
;Macedonia where inter-ethnic violence and conflicts between
Macedonian troops and Albanian extremists have fired up.
Macedonia is also expected to be receiving a message to hope for
joining the EU, but only under the condition of insisting on a
democratic development and inter-ethnic dialogue. Macedonia has
signed an Agreement on Stabilisation and Association with the
European Union.
The meeting will also focus on the development of relations between
Belgrade and Podgorica following parliamentarian elections in
Montenegro, and relations with countries in the process of
association and stabilisation (Macedonia, Albania, Yugoslavia,
Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia).
(hina) lml sb