” “The Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the 25 EU member states gathered today in Luxembourg to tackle the knotty problem of the recognition by Ankara of the Republic of Cyprus. Otherwise, "the government of Nicosia will insists in its right of veto to the opening of negotiations with Turkey". The agenda of the meeting actually includes the formal go-ahead to the start of the negotiations about two files (science and research) of the 35 chapters of the negotiations for EU accession that was decided last October. In this respect, the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ursula Plassnik, president on duty of the Council, asked "the EU partners to be flexible so as to find a common solution and move on according to the set schedule". Croatia, another candidate to the EU membership, is unlikely to find opposition to the opening of its negotiations. Still today in Luxembourg, the Albanian government signed the Agreement for stabilisation and association (Asa), that is the first proactive step along the way to bring Tirana closer to the European Union. The signature was affixed by the EU Accession commissioner, Olli Rehn, and by the Albanian prime minister, Sali Berisha. The process that will bring the EU closer to Albania involves more intensive political and diplomatic relations, the adjustment of the Albanian legislation to the aquis communautaire and stronger economic and trade cooperation.” “
