Brussels, 13/03/2002 (Agence Europe) - Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana said, on Tuesday, after the EU/Romania Association Council that his country expected a great deal from the European Union during the next European Councils of Barcelona (end of this week), Seville (in June), Brussels (October) and Copenhagen (December), to ensure that this year will become that of "Romania's integration in Euro-Atlantic structures". The year 2002 will be a vital year for the "destiny of Romania", regarding both the EU and NATO, stressed Mr Geoana. As far as NATO is concerned, Romania hopes to make a positive decision on its membership at the Prague Summit, whereas, on the EU side, it expects - by the end of the year - a re-adjusted roadmap and additional pre-accession aid that should allow Romania to conclude its accession negotiations "very early in 2004", said the minister. "We have the impression and we are confident that we can avoid double exclusion in 2002 (from NATO and the EU) and that we shall be able to join Euro-Atlantic structures", he told the press. According to Mr Geoana, the additional pre-accession aid (for Romania and Bulgaria, no doubt excluded from the first wave of enlargement) should come from the pre-accession fund programmes in the 2000-2006 financial perspectives but not used because of the fact that 10 and not 6 new members will be joining the EU in 2004. At the same time, Mr Geoana said he was fully aware of the "tremendous work" still to be done before becoming a member of the EU. Eneko Landaburu, Director General for Enlargement at the European Commission had, moreover, already given a brief survey when, after stressing the considerable progress that has been made, he told the press of several of the "main problems" that should be overcome on the "long road" still to be covered by Romania: - the fight against corruption, better use of Community pre-accession funds, strengthened transparency in the State and legal structures, improved administrative capacity, continued structural reforms, and improved investment climate. The Spanish Foreign Minister, Josep Piqué, who chaired the Association Council, gave his assurance that the Spanish Presidency would do everything it can to help Romania make up for its delay in accession negotiations, mainly by seeking to open negotiations by July on all the chapters still closed.