EU Accession Negotiation to Enter Final Phase Under Belgian Presidency

Brussels, 13 July - Head of the Slovene negotiating team for Slovenia's accession to the EU Janez Potocnik and Secretary General of the Belgian Foreign Ministry Jan de Bock on Thursday in Brussels agreed that accession negotiations would enter the crucial phase in the second half of 2001, when Belgium will preside over the EU. Potocnik explained that the two officials agreed that the strengthening of bilateral relations would be beneficial in the context of preparations for this period.