Next EU chair to tour western Balkans

Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel has announced a visit of future presiding EU countries to the region. Rupel said in Brussels yesterday that officials from four future presiding EU countries - Slovenia, France, the Czech Republic and Sweden - would begin a tour of the western Balkans in the next few days. Next EU chair to tour western Balkans During the tour, the officials will try to garner an understanding of new developments in the region and what they need to be prepared for in the coming years. Rupel said that as far as the Kosovo talks were concerned, a status solution resembling the so-called “neutral status” proposal was the current aim, or put another way, a non-solution or one that would not directly determine status. Commenting on Belgrade’s Aland Islands proposal, Rupel said that the idea looked original to him, but that he was not sure whether it would be acceptable for the Kosovo side. “We can talk about all the various formulas, but what is most important is that we are expecting a European level of behavior from our friends in Kosovo and Serbia,” Rupel said, stressing that he was most concerned with the protection of cultural monuments and the Serb minority in Kosovo, adding that more needed to be done in these areas. Despite the fact that Slovenia is preparing to assume the EU presidency on January 1, 2008, and has announced that events in the region will be their priority in the coming year, Serbia still has no ambassador in Slovenia.

Next EU chair to tour western Balkans

During the tour, the officials will try to garner an understanding of new developments in the region and what they need to be prepared for in the coming years.

Rupel said that as far as the Kosovo talks were concerned, a status solution resembling the so-called “neutral status” proposal was the current aim, or put another way, a non-solution or one that would not directly determine status.

Commenting on Belgrade’s Aland Islands proposal, Rupel said that the idea looked original to him, but that he was not sure whether it would be acceptable for the Kosovo side.

“We can talk about all the various formulas, but what is most important is that we are expecting a European level of behavior from our friends in Kosovo and Serbia,” Rupel said, stressing that he was most concerned with the protection of cultural monuments and the Serb minority in Kosovo, adding that more needed to be done in these areas.

Despite the fact that Slovenia is preparing to assume the EU presidency on January 1, 2008, and has announced that events in the region will be their priority in the coming year, Serbia still has no ambassador in Slovenia.