FM Sees Luxembourg as "Guiding Star" for Slovenia EU Stint
Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel came out of talks with his Luxembourg counterpart Jean Asselborn in Ljubljana on Tuesday saying this small country could serve as a "guiding star" to Slovenia, given it had successfully presided over the EU eleven times.
"Luxembourg is a model for us in many ways. It is a small, successful country whose diplomatic staff is small in number like Slovenia's, but it has nevertheless successfully presided over the European Union eleven times," Rupel stated at a joint press conference following talks with Asselborn.
"I believe the example of Luxembourg can serve us as a very good guiding star," Rupel said referring to Slovenia's preparations to take over at the helm of the EU at the beginning of 2008.
According to Rupel, Luxembourg managed to use its potential to chair the EU in the most rational manner. Moreover, the country possesses "extensive information, both formal and semi-formal, on how to run a beast as big as the European Union".
Asselborn described Slovenia's upcoming stint as EU president as a major task that the country was bound to do well, while he refrained from giving concrete advice. He finds it especially important that the government enjoys the support of the national parliament during its stint.
The Luxembourg FM therefore urged the opposition in Slovenia's National Assembly to show the willingness to build consensus during Slovenia's presidency.
According to Asselborn, it is also important that the staff responsible for the tasks under the presidency is motivated and that everyone knows in advance exactly what their responsibilities are.
He furthermore assessed that the performance of Slovenia, which will be the first newcomer to take over the chairmanship, will also be important for the other new member states which will follow in its footsteps.
Meanwhile, Asselborn pointed out that both Luxembourg and Slovenia have ratified the European constitutional treaty and expressed hope that Germany, EU president in the first half of 2007, will make an attempt at reviving the document. This process could however drag out well into Slovenia's chairmanship, according to Asselborn.
Resolving the issues connected to the constitution and the institutional arrangements is instrumental for the bloc's further enlargement. Asselborn assessed that countries in the Balkans need to be given European prospects and encouraged to start moving towards Brussels.
Asselborn and Rupel moreover touched on the expansion of the Schengen zone, with Rupel expressing concern over the expected delay.
Asselborn said that he understood Slovenia's wish to enter the zone and expressed his full support, he added, however, that it is also vital that an appropriate technical solution is found for the expansion.
Luxembourg's FM, who last visited Slovenia officially during his country's EU presidency in March 2005, also made a stop at the National Assembly, where he was received by Anton Kokalj, the chair of the parliamentary EU affairs committee.
More articles from this issue:
Archive
|