Jansa Stresses EU Prospects for SE Europe at Wachau Forum

Vienna, 5 June

"Integration of the Western Balkans is in the strategic interest of the EU," Slovenian PM Janez Jansa said Sunday as he stressed how important it was for SE European countries to have EU prospects. Speaking at a forum in Austria, he also called for ratification of the European constitution.

Jansa believes no one has the right to deny Eastern and SE European countries, which suffered under totalitarian regimes for too long, European prospects. "Europe's door must remain open," he stressed.
Convinced about the constitution's benefits to the future EU decision-making, Jansa said the implementation of the European constitution "would undoubtedly mean a shift towards a more transparent, efficient and democratic Europe which would be closer to its citizens".
"It would also furnish member states with a more appropriate means of boosting mutual cooperation, at the same time making the EU more flexible and able to better adapt to the conditions of the dynamic world of today," stressed Jansa, the keynote speaker at Europe Forum in Wachau.
Nevertheless, the constitution referendum outcomes in France and Netherlands prove the gap between the political elites in favour of the constitution and the majority of French and Dutch voters is currently rather big. "I believe we have to take this message, which is also a great challenge, very seriously," said Jansa.
Participants of this traditional forum, sponsored by Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel, focused on the state of affairs in Europe in the aftermath of last year's EU enlargement and examined possible directions in which the EU could develop.
On the margin of the forum, Jansa and Schuessel discussed the position of the Slovenian minority in Austria, with Jansa extending support for the Austrian government's efforts to settle the problems regarding the minority.
Speaking to the press after meeting Jansa, Schuessel said the recent erection of several new bilingual place names in Carinthia was an act that would not deprive Austrians of their identity, on the contrary, it will enrich it.

Jansa Stresses EU Prospects for SE Europe at Wachau Forum

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