Denmark, which will take over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union on 1 January 2012, on Wednesday outlined the priorities of its EU chairmanship: the settlement of the debt crisis and the avoidance of divisions between the 17 eurozone member states and the other 10 EU countries.
We want all 27 member states to stick together. We hope that the 17 eurozone members will respect the interests of the other ten, and it is our interest to have a successful eurozone, Danish Ambassador Tranholm-Mikkelsen said presenting the programme of his country's EU presidency from 1 January to 30 June 2012.
Dealing with the financial and economic crisis is the top priority of the Danish presidency.
The second top priority is given to the economic growth with the respect of environmental standards.
Reaching agreement on a budget framework for the 2014-2020 period is also on the Danish presidency's agenda,
The fourth ranked priority is the internal affairs pertaining to the Schengen agreement and asylum policies.
In early October, Denmark elected a new government led by Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt of Social Democrats, a party more European-oriented than the previous centre-right government.
Foreign affairs are the fifth point on the agenda.
One of areas that remain in the remit of the rotating presidency is enlargement.
Ambassador Tranholm-Mikkelsen mentioned the bloc's enlargement only at the end of his press conference in Brussels today. He spoke about Turkey and Iceland, the two countries that are currently holding the accession negotiations with Brussels.
As for Montenegro, he said that the opening of its EU entry talks would depend on the European Council's decision on 9 December.
Asked why he made no mention of Serbia, the ambassador said that he did not expect the opening of Serbia's EU membership talks during the Danish EU presidency.
Three summit meetings are to be organised during the Danish EU presidency, in March, May and in late June.
