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mnussair

mnussair

Jordan

January 22, 2008

Eight of the invited countries are in Eastern Europe. Until 1991, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania were part of the

Soviet Union. Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Slovenia all had Communist governments.

The E−U also offered membership to Malta and the Greek−ruled part of Cyprus.

The planned expansion would be the largest in the E−U’s history. It would create a community of more than

450 million people in twenty−five countries. The expansion also would create an economy of more than nine

million million dollars. Such an economy would be close to that of the United States.

Intense negotiations took place at the Copenhagen meeting about the financial terms under which new

members will join. Candidates for E−U membership had demanded more aid. Most of them are poorer than

the average country in Western Europe. They also have shorter histories as democracies and had problems

with dishonest governments. Many people in the invited countries did not fully support efforts to join the E−U.

Poland is the largest of the ten candidate countries. It had threatened to sabotage the expansion plans if it did

not receive more aid. The agreement calls for the E−U to provide more than forty thousand million dollars in

aid to the new members.

The expansion is planned for May, 2004. But first, citizens in each candidate country must approve E−U

membership in a series of votes expected next year.

E−U members had hoped that a United Nations−negotiated agreement to end the division of Cyprus would be

signed during the Copenhagen meeting. Cyprus has been divided between Greek and Turkish Cypriots since

1974.

The E−U offered membership to the southern, Greek side of Cyprus. The Turkish north could enter later if it

agrees on terms to end the island’s division. Now, only the internationally recognized Greek Cypriot

government will receive E−U membership.

In another development, Turkey accepted an E−U decision to delay considering its membership until

December, 2004, at the earliest. E−U leaders said Turkey must make the political and human rights reforms

necessary to begin talks about membership.

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