SLOVAKIA supports sticking to the EU accession plan for Romania and Bulgaria, which calls for the countries to join the Union simultaneously in 2007, according to Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan.
Kukan made the statement after the European Commission announced that it was postponing taking a decision on these countries' EU entry bid until the autumn.
The minister repeated that Slovakia hopes the EU will keep its promise of entry to Romania and Bulgaria, and advised the two countries to make use of the remaining six months to prove they are ready for membership, the SITA news agency wrote.
"Slovakia will push its colleagues in Bulgaria and Romania to take an active approach and to adopt legislative measures in areas which the European Commission criticized," Kukan said.
According to the SME daily, most Slovak politicians have said that Slovakia will not prevent Bulgarians and Romanians from working in Slovakia if their states enter the EU in 2007. Doubts in this respect were raised only by the opposition Smer and Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) parties.
"There is some danger in the area of crime and illegal labour," HZDS Vice-Chairman Viliam Veteška said.
According to Smer's Pavol Paška, Slovakia might be better off with "some transition period" delaying the free movement of labour from Romania and Bulgaria.
Compiled by Martina Jurinová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
