Finnish President Tarja Halonen, told the press on Tuesday, 11 October, that reestablishing the trust in the EU, weakened after the double rejection of the European constitution, is now of key importance to its member states.
This can only be achieved by effectively resolving the current issues, such as the new financial perspective and the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy, Halonen said after meeting her Slovenian counterpart Janez Drnovsek in Ljubljana. Drnovsek expressed his doubts about the future of the constitution. However, he would like the EU to thoroughly consider the problems which led to the double "no" vote on the constitution in France and Netherlands earlier this year. Halonen and Drnovsek also discussed other issues the EU is faced with, focusing on the Western Balkans. They agreed this region must be given the opportunity to join the EU, which is the main incentive for its development. As part of her two-day visit, Halonen also met Prime Minister Janez Jansa and Parliament Speaker France Cukjati and delivered a lecture at the Ljubljana Faculty of Law.
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