French President Mr Jacques Chirac said today France was fully behind the European Union's planned eastward enlargement and said he hoped the EU's Nice Treaty paving the way to the plan would be ratified on time.
"France wants to make a success of the European Union's enlargement," Mr Chirac was quoted by his spokeswoman Ms Catherine Colonna as saying in Paris during a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Mr Ferenc Madl.
Hungary is one of 12 mainly eastern European countries negotiating EU membership and is seen as the frontrunner in the talks.
Mr Chirac's statement came just days after Ireland cast doubts over the European Union's eastwards expansion project, when voters rejected the Nice Treaty in a referendum.
The treaty is supposed to prepare the 15-member bloc internally for the day it almost doubles in size and all EU member countries have to ratify before it can come into force.
Ms Colonna said Mr Chirac reiterated "his hope that the Union will ratify on time the Treaty of Nice and honour the commitment made to be ready to admit new members from January 1, 2003."
AFP