26/02/2001 (Agence Europe) - Belgian Finance Minister and President of the Eurogroup throughout the year 2001, Didier Reynders, ended on Monday a trip from Slovenia to Slovakia via the Czech Republic. His trip comes with a view to the Belgian EU Presidency next term. Mr Reynders said at the end of his visit to Slovakia that he would propose the Ecofin Council in December 2001 be extended by one day, devoted to the candidate countries. He will also propose the institutionalisation of the participation by candidate countries at the Ecofin Council during the same half year (we recall that the candidate countries have already been invited to the informal Ecofin Council to be held from 20 to 22 April in Malmö).