Foreign Ministers Unveil Joint EU-Presidency Programme
Slovenia wants to stress enlargement, Western Balkans and intercultural dialogue, FM Dimitrij Rupel said in Brussels on Monday as the troika of forthcoming EU presidents (Germany, Portugal and Slovenia) unveiled their joint 18-month presidency programme.
Slovenia will continue with endeavours for enlarging the Schengen no-border zone and the eurozone, Rupel added.
It will continue accession talks with Turkey and Croatia and promote the European prospects of the Western Balkan countries in a way that will be approved by the heads of state and government at the forthcoming EU summit, he noted.
All members of the troika are convinced that Western Balkan countries belong to the EU and "Slovenia will strive to provide active aid to these countries in completing reforms", he said.
In intercultural dialogue, the country wants to contribute towards a debate on Europe's identity, based on a thorough discussion on the differences and similarities between Christianity and Islam. Slovenia, which is to hold the EU presidency in the first half of 2008, moreover aims at establishing a broad forum for such debate.
Rupel and his German and Portuguese counterparts, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Luis Amado, agreed that the idea of drafting a joint programme was beneficial and that the ministers' cooperation was excellent.
Steinmeier and Amado agreed that the bloc is in crisis and that expectations regarding the activities of the new joint presidency run high.
Steinmeier said that the programme is divided into three parts. The first involves a strategic framework and was discussed with the EU presiding countries that will follow, France, the Czech Republic and Sweden.
The second part involves the list of priority tasks in all policies and the third a comprehensive programme on the items that are to be dealt with in the coming 18-month period, he added.
Germany's priority tasks include constitutional reform, neighbourhood policy towards the EU's eastern and southern neighbours and sectoral agreements in the area of transport, energy and the environment, Steinmeier revealed.
Portugal will meanwhile focus on implementing the goals of the Lisbon strategy - strengthening employment and economic growth - and on preserving biotic diversity, ensuring water supply and continuing sustainable development dialogue, Amado said.
The troika's programme will be first decided upon at the meeting of EU foreign ministers and will be given its final seal of approval at the EU summit later this week.
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