First EU Accession Treaty, Then Referendum, Europe Minister Says

Ljubljana, 24 July - A referendum on Slovenia's membership in the European Union is expected to be called after the accession treaty has been signed in the spring or summer of 2003, European Affairs Minister Janez Potocnik told the public television channel late on Tuesday. He did not rule out the possibility of a simultaneous referendum on NATO membership given that Slovenia is granted an invitation to join the Alliance at the Prague summit this November.