Western Balkans Should Join the EU Soon, Rupel Says

Budapest, 11 October

Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel believes that countries of the Western Balkans should join the EU as soon as possible. Croatia, which recently started accession talks, "is only a part of the mosaic that we are completing to fill the gap between Slovenia and Greece," he said on Tuesday.

Rupel was speaking after a meeting of foreign ministers of the regional partnership (countries of the Visegrad Group plus Slovenia and Austria) with their counterparts from the Western Balkans in Budapest.
He said that the members of the regional partnership share an ambitious goal - that countries of the Western Balkans join the EU on the heels of Croatia.
Rupel voiced the hope that Macedonia become an EU candidate this year, while "Bosnia-Herzegovina has also passed its maturity exam as far as conditions for the signing of an association and stabilisation agreement with the EU are concerned."
The ministers agreed that further EU enlargement is necessary, whereby in view of their geographic and historical ties, the countries of the regional partnership believe that the Western Balkans should join as soon as possible.
Although the region as a whole has made progress, there are certain issues which are very complex and inter-related. Rupel named the status of Kosovo, the independence referendum in Montenegro and the status of Croatian citizens in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He also stressed that the Western Balkans would be a priority during Slovenia's stint as EU president in the first half of 2008.
The regional partnership ministers drafted a statement in which they specified the forms of assistance their countries will offer to the region. Rupel stressed that Slovenia offered assistance in veterinary regulations, phytosanitary protection and food safety.
Meanwhile, Austria will help in environmental protection, Hungary in legislation and home affairs, Poland in the phasing of EU funds, whereas Slovakia will share its experience in the promotion of civil society.

Western Balkans Should Join the EU Soon, Rupel Says

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