European Commission pledges support to Slovenian presidency priorities

"European Commission Vice-President Margot Wallstroem said on Tuesday the commission 'fully supports Slovenia's presidency priorities' during its term at the helm of the 27-nation bloc in the first half of the year.

Wallstroem made her statement at Brdo pri Kranju in suburban Ljubljana, where a meeting was being held between the European Commission and the rotating EU presidency Slovenian government.

Wallstroem, who led the visiting delegation in the absence of commission President Jose Manuel Barroso who is ill with the flu, said the goal for 2008 was to have a 'Europe of results.'

In a joint press conference with Wallstroem, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa said the 'substantive talks' examined the key issues facing the Slovenian presidency, including the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, the energy-climate talks, implementation of the Lisbon Strategy, the Western Balkans and intercultural dialogue.

'Today excellent cooperation has been established between the Slovenian government and the European Commission,' Jansa said after the first session of meetings.

According to Jansa, Slovenia's presidency will tailor its activities in order to provide for the smooth ratification of the recently-signed EU reform treaty, a key goal of the presidency. He said the goal was to have the document in force by Jan. 1, 2009."

Source: Xinhua