BRUSSELS 13-14 March 2008 Slovenia hosts summit of European Union leaders with Kosovo at top of its priorities

Solvenia, the first of the new members to hold the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union, hosts its first EU summit. The leaders signed the new Lisbon Treaty in December and can now turn their attention to seeing the pact ratified and other goals. Slovenia wants the focus turned to the Western Balkans, particularly Kosovo, to future Turkish EU membership, and to energy and climate change.

In January Slovenia pledged to ratify the Lisbon Treaty, the re-negotiated version of the constitution rejected by France and the Netherlands in 2005, as an example-setting move. The treaty sets the foundation for wide-reaching internal reforms in the bloc, and ratification by member states will bring it into effect in Jan 2009.

Ljubljana hopes to break down resistance in the bloc to Turkey's membership and extend a friendly hand to Serbia via a Stability and Association Agreement, part of the EU pre-accession process. But Belgrade is unlikely to leap at the opportunity because of Kosovos declaration of independence from Serbia with recognition from some EU members.

Speaking before the Western European Union Assembly in October, Andrej Šter, State Secretary at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, said the bulk of Slovenia’s efforts will be aimed at “solving the problems of Kosovo’s status” using a “regional approach” and rejecting any “unilateral solution.” He said the Stability agreement “could attach [Serbia] firmly to Europe and help minimise the negative consequences that Kosovo’s new status will have for the domestic situation in Serbia.”

The Slovenian Minister said he wants the bloc to break down "fortress Europe" by easing its visa policy to allow "young people living in the western Balkans ... to travel in Europe." UPDATED Feb/08

RELATED READING:

Balkan focus for Slovenia EU presidency (RFERL 2 Jan 2008)
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/01/0185eb75-9745-414f-8b54-fafbb87c7513.html

Slovenia EU presidency web
Slovenia EU presidency web