RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 1, No. 175, 9 December 1997

EU MINISTERS ADOPT EXPANSION COMPROMISE. The
European Union foreign ministers met in Brussels on 8
December and reached a compromise on extending the union
into Central and Eastern Europe. They agreed to hold a meeting
on 31 March 1998 to launch the expansion process. The
meeting would be attended by Cyprus and 10 prospective
members from Central and Eastern Europe. Detailed
negotiations would then follow with the six most developed
countries-the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland,
Slovenia and Cyprus. The ministers met ahead of the EU
summit on 12 December in Luxembourg. The summit will
officially adopt the decision on the union's expansion policy. MS

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