E.European leaders push for Balkan-EU integration

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BRNO, Czech Republic, Integration into the European Union is the way forward for Balkan countries emerging from years of conflicts, central and east European presidents agreed on Saturday.

Czech President Vaclav Klaus hosted 14 other presidents from central and south-eastern Europe in the second largest Czech city for an annual summit.

The gathering brought together the heads of eight EU members, including six that joined over the past three years, and of seven countries aspiring for membership.

"We were united on one fundamental issue, and that is that the key to resolve the remaining problems in this region is the perspective of European Union membership for those that are not yet in," Klaus told a news conference.

The summit briefly touched upon issues ranging from energy supplies and ties with Russia and the question of the future of the Serb province of Kosovo, which United Nations is considering granting independence.

The meeting brought together the heads of Albania, which backs Kosovo's independence, and Serbia, which deeply opposes giving up the province, but there was no agreement on the issue.

The presidents also touched upon European ties with an increasingly emancipated Russia, a key energy supplier.

Relations between the European Union and Russia have been tense over Moscow's ban on Polish meet imports, a halt in crude supplies to Lithuania and a row over a war memorial in Estonia.

Moscow also sharply disagrees with a U.S. plan to put parts of a missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic.

The differences showed at an icy EU-Russia summit last week where the two sides clashed over democracy and failed to agree on starting talks on a new partnership agreement.

Both Klaus and Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic took a conciliatory tone, refusing to divulge any details of what was said on the topic of relations with Russia.

"The EU needs Russia and Russia needs the EU," Gasparovic said. "We are dependent on each other."

[Reuters/Finance.cz]