Thirteen leaders of central European countries hoping to join the European Union will join the presidents of Germany, Italy and Austria on Friday for a two-day summit.
Among those attending will be the leaders of seven countries that are preparing to enter the bloc: Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania.
They will be joined by leaders of countries that hope to join in a second wave of enlargement and are not yet official candidates: Croatia, Yugoslavia, Ukraine, Moldava, Bosnia-Hercegovina and Macedonia.
"The presidents will reflect on the role of central European states in a united Europe and the completion of the transition process in those states," the Slovenian government said in a statement.
NATO enlargement is also expected to be discussed at the summit by the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland, which have joined the alliance and candidate countries - Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Slovenia.
Several countries are expected to get an invitation to join NATO at a summit in Prague in November.
The EU hopes to admit up to 10 countries as early as 2004 and is conducting membership talks with Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Malta, Romania and Bulgaria.
Impoverished Romania and Bulgaria, which are less advanced in their reforms, are expected to join later than the others. Turkey is a candidate for membership but has not yet been allowed to join formal entry talks on account of EU concerns over its human rights record.
AFP