Slovenia Gains Formal Equality with Other Associate EU Members

Ljubljana, 20 July - TOPIC/WEEK
During the past week Slovenia made new important steps on its way to entering the European Union, achieving de facto formal equality with the remaining nine associate EU members. After the EU Ministerial Council officially accepted Monday Slovenia's application for full membership, which Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek submitted upon signing the association agreement on 10 June in Luxembourg, head of the European Commission delegation in Ljubljana, ambassador Amir Naqui, formally presented to Slovenia Tuesday the EU questionnaire which will provide the European Commission a basis for preparing the opinion on Slovenia's candidacy for full membership. A mere two days later, on Thursday, Slovene government confirmed Slovenia's answer to the questionnaire, officially termed The European Commission Call for Information on Preparing the Opinion Regarding the Application by the Republic of Slovenia for Full Membership in the European Union.