EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - With just three years of European Union membership under its belt, Slovenia will take on the EU presidency today (1 January) landing itself a highly politicised agenda. Of all the issues that the small ex-Yugoslav state will have to deal with over the next six months, two are set to dominate the agenda - the Kosovo question and the EU renewable energy package. Slovenia has reluctantly inherited the thorny issue of the future status of Kosovo, the breakaway Serb province, one of the greatest foreign policy challenges the bloc has faced in recent years. EU member states are only slowly working themselves towards a unified approach on what to do when confronted with Kosovo's likely future bid for independence.
Sixteen years after independence, Slovenia has taken up the presidency of the EU, offering to act as a bridge with the Balkans. The breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo is itself expected to declare independence within weeks, presenting the EU with a potential crisis. Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel has said he aims to resolve the Kosovo issue by the end of June. The EU will send a civilian team to Kosovo to assist the Nato-led force.
The breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo is itself expected to declare independence within weeks, presenting the EU with a potential crisis.
Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel has said he aims to resolve the Kosovo issue by the end of June.
The EU will send a civilian team to Kosovo to assist the Nato-led force.
Slovenia will become the first former communist country to take charge of the EU today with the aim of ending the "Yugoslav crisis" that led to its creation 16 years ago. The tiny Eastern European country takes on the six-month presidency, giving it power over the EU's priorities, just as the Balkans threatens to flare up again with a declaration of independence by the Serbian province of Kosovo early in the new year. The country of two million people admits that it lacks the experience and personnel of bigger EU countries and has been receiving advice and diplomatic support from France, the next in line for the presidency. This has led to accusations that President Sarkozy of France will control Europe's agenda for a full year -- helping him to push ambitions such as building the EU's defence capability, over which he is at odds with British policy of concentrating on Nato.
Slovenia will become the first former communist country to take charge of the EU today with the aim of ending the "Yugoslav crisis" that led to its creation 16 years ago.
The tiny Eastern European country takes on the six-month presidency, giving it power over the EU's priorities, just as the Balkans threatens to flare up again with a declaration of independence by the Serbian province of Kosovo early in the new year.
The country of two million people admits that it lacks the experience and personnel of bigger EU countries and has been receiving advice and diplomatic support from France, the next in line for the presidency.
This has led to accusations that President Sarkozy of France will control Europe's agenda for a full year -- helping him to push ambitions such as building the EU's defence capability, over which he is at odds with British policy of concentrating on Nato.
There's so much BS in this article I don't know where to begin. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
ET is such a good learning experience. Ad astra per aspera
It's all here. France (threat) will dominate (threat) the EU agenda for a year (double threat). "push ambitions" Threat. EU defence (threat to NATO) (threat to european- Altanticism) (threat to America) at odds with British policy (threat...threat...threat..warroooogahh warroooogah, my eyes are rotating) keep to the Fen Causeway
Slovenia to force Kosovo back to top of EU agenda lovenia will become the first former communist country to take charge of the EU today with the aim of ending the "Yugoslav crisis" that led to its creation 16 years ago.
lovenia will become the first former communist country to take charge of the EU today with the aim of ending the "Yugoslav crisis" that led to its creation 16 years ago.
...with how the SLovenian foreign minister imagines the end of the Yugoslav crisis:
Mr Rupel said: "We in Slovenia believe that it is high time for the Yugoslav crisis to end -- a crisis that began in 1991 when [former Yugoslav leader Slobodan] Milosevic attacked Slovenia. We see the solution in EU enlargement." He added: "We are hopeful that during the Slovenian presidency EU agreements will be signed with the entire western Balkan region."
