Slovenia Assumes EU Presidency from Portugal

World | January 2, 2008, Wednesday // 00:00

Portugal's Foreign Minister Luis Amado officially handed over the European Union rotating presidency to his Slovenian counterpart, Dimitrij Rupel on January 1.

The small Balkan nation is the first formerly communist-ruled country and new European Union member to take over the rotating post. That way it becomes the face and the voice of the 27-nation bloc of 500 million people for the next six months.

During its stint, Slovenia will be coordinating EU affairs, ranging from policies toward the Middle East and Iran to energy and climate change.

But the first issue will be Kosovo, whose majority ethnic Albanians want to declare independence early this year - a move Serbia vehemently opposes, insisting on keeping at least a formal authority over the province.

Slovenia also faces a continued dispute with neighboring Croatia over an economic zone in the Adriatic Sea.

The country is expected to push for other former Yugoslav states to join the EU.

"We believe that the Western Balkans must be guaranteed a European perspective," Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said.

"This will be our contribution to stabilizing the part of Europe which has been most affected by events at the end of the 20th century," he added.

The next country that is to assume the EU presidency is France.

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