RUPEL WELCOMES EU AND NATO ENLARGEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
11.02.2008 15:22 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose
country holds the rotating EU presidency, called on the European
Union on Saturday to sign more cooperation deals with Balkan states
over the next year.

"During our presidency and maybe during the next presidency we
should cover this area with European agreements, be it agreements on
association and stabilization, be it candidate status or accession
negotiation status," Rupel told a security conference in Munich.

"The EU and NATO should enlarge toward Southern and Eastern Europe,
Caucasus, Asia and Mediterranean basin. But the Yugoslavian crisis
should be resolved first of all," he said.

He said the EU should shoulder the responsibility for Kosovo while
Croatia and Turkey should work harder to join the Union.

"Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as
Albania should be embraced by NATO and EU enlargement. A dialogue
with Arab states is also essential," he said, ITAR-TASS reported.