EU ministerial summit opens

An informal meeting of EU foreign ministers begins today in Slovenia, with Serbia on the agenda. The meeting will begin at Brdo Pri Kranju today, which will be attended by EU foreign ministers and their counterparts from the western Balkans countries. EU ministerial summit opens The meeting will also be attended by EU high officials from the region, including Kosovo envoy Pieter Feith and Bosnia-Herzegovina High Representative Miroslav Lajcak. European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn will also be present. The first day of the summit will be dedicated to the Middle East and Syria, and also relations between the EU and Russia. Part of the discussions on EU-Russian relations will focus on energy matters, but also on general relations ahead of the EU-Russia meeting of senior officials scheduled to take place in Siberia in June. The Serbian delegation will arrive tonight, led by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, who will participate in discussions on Saturday. The main topic of discussion will be the western Balkans’ European prospects, and the situation in the region after Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence. A Kosovo delegation will also be in attendance, according to Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, “in accordance with its lawful status.” It is still not known who the Kosovo delegation will include. Rupel’s cabinet told B92 that the secrecy was due to security reasons, while Rupel himself told reporters yesterday that the delegation could be led by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci or several other ministers. It is expected that the delegation will consist of a combination of Kosovo and UNMIK officials, as was the case at the ministerial meeting in Slovenia that followed Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration. Discussions will focus on the European Commission’s March report, which is expected to contain new ideas regarding the western Balkans’ European prospects. Rupel said that the question of how to help Serbia on its path towards European integration would be a chief topic of the meetings. After meeting with OSCE officials, the Slovenian foreign minister said that everyone wanted stability in Kosovo and that the OSCE would be key in this effort, adding that relations would be very close between the OSCE, the UN, the EU and KFOR. The summit will end on Saturday with a lunch and a debate on multi-cultural dialogue, which was listed as one of Slovenia’s priorities during its EU presidency. Rupel said that this would be the first time that Serbs and Albanians from Kosovo would participate in such discussions. He said that the issue of the recent violence in Tibet would also be broached at the summit.

EU ministerial summit opens

The meeting will also be attended by EU high officials from the region, including Kosovo envoy Pieter Feith and Bosnia-Herzegovina High Representative Miroslav Lajčak.

European Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner and Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn will also be present.

The first day of the summit will be dedicated to the Middle East and Syria, and also relations between the EU and Russia.

Part of the discussions on EU-Russian relations will focus on energy matters, but also on general relations ahead of the EU-Russia meeting of senior officials scheduled to take place in Siberia in June.

The Serbian delegation will arrive tonight, led by Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić, who will participate in discussions on Saturday. The main topic of discussion will be the western Balkans’ European prospects, and the situation in the region after Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence.

A Kosovo delegation will also be in attendance, according to Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, “in accordance with its lawful status.”

It is still not known who the Kosovo delegation will include.

Rupel’s cabinet told B92 that the secrecy was due to security reasons, while Rupel himself told reporters yesterday that the delegation could be led by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci or several other ministers.

It is expected that the delegation will consist of a combination of Kosovo and UNMIK officials, as was the case at the ministerial meeting in Slovenia that followed Kosovo’s unilateral independence declaration.

Discussions will focus on the European Commission’s March report, which is expected to contain new ideas regarding the western Balkans’ European prospects.

Rupel said that the question of how to help Serbia on its path towards European integration would be a chief topic of the meetings.

After meeting with OSCE officials, the Slovenian foreign minister said that everyone wanted stability in Kosovo and that the OSCE would be key in this effort, adding that relations would be very close between the OSCE, the UN, the EU and KFOR.

The summit will end on Saturday with a lunch and a debate on multi-cultural dialogue, which was listed as one of Slovenia’s priorities during its EU presidency.

Rupel said that this would be the first time that Serbs and Albanians from Kosovo would participate in such discussions.

He said that the issue of the recent violence in Tibet would also be broached at the summit.