Review of Slovene Foreign Affairs - December 2000 to November 2001

Ljubljana, 8 December - The summit of the U.S. and Russian Presidents, George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin, held in June in Slovenia, which was at the same time their first ever meeting, was a pivotal event on Slovenia's political scene in 2001. Pleased with the European Commission 2001 progress report on its accession towards EU membership, Slovenia expects to sign an accession treaty with the EU in December 2002, hoping to join the 15-nation bloc in the first round of enlargement, possibly in 2004. The country sped up its preparations for NATO membership, yet a decision on its membership is to be taken by the alliance in the autumn of 2002 at a summit in Prague.