Date to be set for new EU and Nato members

Nato and the EU plan to set a May 2004 date for the entry of new members from eastern Europe who are expected to get the invitations to join in the coming weeks.

The defence alliance is likely to invite seven new members to join next Thursday at a summit meeting in the Czech capital Prague, while the EU is set to ask in 10 new members at a December summit in Copenhagen, said diplomats in Brussels.