SALZBURG, 14/03/06 - Foreign Minister Ben Bot considers it still much too early to set a date by which the Balkan countries can join the EU. Nor does he want to set a date for the point at which a free-trade zone with the Balkans should be introduced.

EU foreign ministers issued a statement last Saturday, in which it was again stated that the Western Balkan countries have "membership as the ultimate goal." The EU had already promised in 2003 that the Balkan countries could join in due course.

Despite the fact that strong resistance exists within his own Christian democratic (CDA) party to further EU enlargement, and Dutch public opinion is also not expecting it, Bot says that "the Netherlands always keeps its promises." However, he does not consider naming dates sensible. "That is premature. It will still simply take a very long time."

According to Bot, countries can only join the EU when they are completely ready for this. "We must not work any more with half-baked situations and not continue to run, run, run to the so-called paradise. Slowly, slowly, then the line will not break," said the minister. He noted that like the Netherlands, France and Belgium are also cautious.

Because of its domestic resistance to further EU enlargement, France did not actually want to issue any ministerial statement last Saturday. Eventually, Paris did back this, and French Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy also accepted the agreement to create a free-trade zone for the Balkans in a few years time.

Bot wants the former Yugoslavian countries and Albania and Kosovo first to create more regional cooperation. "This could be via a free-trade zone, which also works well in combating smuggling in these countries." In the longer term, such a free-trade zone could form a free-trade area with the EU, as a gateway to accession to the EU.

Bot: "There is still much explosive political material stored in these countries, about which they must first reach agreement among themselves." He also tempered the words of his UK counterpart Jack Straw, who stated that it was "almost unavoidable" that Kosovo receives independence from Serbia-Montenegro. "Let us not draw over-hasty conclusions on that," said Bot.

The EU is already in negotiations with Croatia and Turkey on membership. According to Bot, the talks with both countries will take "years." Macedonia has the status of candidate member state, without a date having been set for the start of negotiations. Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Albania are still negotiating on forms of partnership with the EU. These agreements could form a basis for an application for membership.