Rupel Stresses Slovenia's Support for Ukraine's EU Membership
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel expressed Slovenia's support for Ukraine's EU membership as he met in Ljubljana on Wednesday his visiting Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Ohryzko. Ohryzko arrived to Slovenia a day before the EU-Ukraine troika meeting.
"Of course Ukraine has European prospects, but in EU speak this means that the country sooner or later becomes an EU member...But I don't know whether Ukraine would join the EU sooner or later. The EU has made no decision about that yet," Rupel told the press after the talks.
Ukraine is striving for EU membership and Slovenia supports that said Rupel and added that such ambition helps the country to adapt to EU standards and contributes to its transformation. "If Ukraine is ready to undergo such processes then things are OK".
Ohryzko thanked Slovenia for its support and said that EU and NATO membership remain the country's main foreign policy priorities. Talks on Ukraine's EU future are to continue at the Brdo pri Kranju estate at the EU-Ukraine troika plenary.
The ministers assessed bilateral relations as very good, adding that they could be further improved.
Rupel also congratulated Ukraine for being accepted to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and said he hoped talks on elimination of visas between the EU and Ukraine would be successful.
The ministers discussed frozen conflicts in the Caucasus and relations with Russia. "Russia is the omnipresent member at our talks even though it is not represented here," said Rupel.
Ohryzko was also received by President Danilo Tuerk, with the debate mainly running on the preparations of the visit by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, who is expected in Slovenia in early June.
More articles from this issue:
Archive
|