Rupel welcomes EU and NATO enlargement

PanARMENIAN.Net - Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, called on the European Union on Saturday to sign more cooperation deals with Balkan states over the next year.



"During our presidency and maybe during the next presidency we should cover this area with European agreements, be it agreements on association and stabilization, be it candidate status or accession negotiation status," Rupel told a security conference in Munich.



"The EU and NATO should enlarge toward Southern and Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Asia and Mediterranean basin. But the Yugoslavian crisis should be resolved first of all," he said.



He said the EU should shoulder the responsibility for Kosovo while Croatia and Turkey should work harder to join the Union.



"Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Albania should be embraced by NATO and EU enlargement. A dialogue with Arab states is also essential," he said, ITAR-TASS reported.