Slovenia says it hopes EU foreign ministers will act to speed up Serbia’s bid to join the bloc during talks next week.

Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar, whose country is an EU member, said Serbia had accepted an EU request to talk to its breakaway ex-province of Kosovo and it would “make sense” if the EU now speeds up its bid.

He spoke Wednesday after meeting his Serbian counterpart, Vuk Jeremic.

The EU Council of Ministers will discuss Serbia’s candidacy Monday. Zbogar said he expected them to agree to forward Serbia’s bid for membership to the European Commission, a step toward starting formal entry negotiations.

Some in the EU are opposed to Serbia’s bid because of its failure to arrest Europe’s top war crimes fugitive, Gen. Ratko Mladic.

October 20, 2010
Associated Press

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