Slovenia pushes Thessalonica agenda

Slovenia wants Croatia and Macedonia to join the EU as soon as possible, says Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. At a news conference yesterday in Ljubljana, Rupel, whose country will chair the EU in the first half of next year, stated that the EU’s Thessalonica agreement of 2003 should be partly freshened up, adding that the Thessalonica agenda was not sufficiently attractive or inspiring, nor did it offer enough incentive to potential members. Slovenia pushes Thessalonica agenda The minister said the amendments were necessary in order to hasten the membership of the western Balkan countries to the EU, but that, "freshening up the Thessalonica agreement doesn’t just depend on Slovenia, but on the EU as a whole." One of the priorities of the Slovenian presidency of the EU will be to renew talks on EU expansion to the western Balkans, encouraging the said states to join the EU as soon as possible, as well as providing the means and opportunities within the Union for this process to begin at the earliest possible date. Rupel said that stability in the western Balkans could not be conceived without a European perspective, adding that the particularly tense situation between Belgrade and Pristina was once again opening up the question of the European perspective in the Balkans. "We want Croatia to be followed by not only Macedonia, but Serbia and Bosnia as well," said Rupel, going on to say that would be the main theme at the forthcoming Bled Strategic Forum, which this year will be held under the title "EU 2020: Enlarging and Integrating." The conference will be attended by over 400 participants from 50 countries and six international organizations, presidents and vice-presidents, foreign ministers, and the special UN envoy for Kosovo. At the forum, Serbia will be represented by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, while Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku, who is not on the Forum’s official invitation list, will attend the opening ceremony in an informal capacity.

Slovenia pushes Thessalonica agenda

The minister said the amendments were necessary in order to hasten the membership of the western Balkan countries to the EU, but that, "freshening up the Thessalonica agreement doesn’t just depend on Slovenia, but on the EU as a whole."

One of the priorities of the Slovenian presidency of the EU will be to renew talks on EU expansion to the western Balkans, encouraging the said states to join the EU as soon as possible, as well as providing the means and opportunities within the Union for this process to begin at the earliest possible date.

Rupel said that stability in the western Balkans could not be conceived without a European perspective, adding that the particularly tense situation between Belgrade and Priština was once again opening up the question of the European perspective in the Balkans.

"We want Croatia to be followed by not only Macedonia, but Serbia and Bosnia as well," said Rupel, going on to say that would be the main theme at the forthcoming Bled Strategic Forum, which this year will be held under the title "EU 2020: Enlarging and Integrating."

The conference will be attended by over 400 participants from 50 countries and six international organizations, presidents and vice-presidents, foreign ministers, and the special UN envoy for Kosovo.

At the forum, Serbia will be represented by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, while Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku, who is not on the Forum’s official invitation list, will attend the opening ceremony in an informal capacity.