§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in(a) Poland, (b) Hungary, (c) the Czech Republic, (d) Estonia, (e) Slovenia and (f) Cyprus with respect to the accession negotiations, and the timetable for accession to the EU; and if he will make a statement. [107349]
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§ Mr. VazWhenever my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary meets his counterparts from Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, he discusses accession negotiations with them. When he met them in December in the margins of the Helsinki European Council, he noted that their countries have been making good progress in their preparation for accession. He emphasised that the UK wants the applicant states to join the European Union as soon as they are able to meet the obligations of membership. It is too soon to say when this will be.