BRUSSELS, Belgium, Feb. 1, 1993 (UPI) -- The European Community Monday formally launched negotiations aimed at admitting Austria, Finland and Sweden to the Community by the beginning of 1995, but Stockholm repeated that it will not participate in any military alliance, despite moves within the Community toward common foreign and security policy.
Foreign ministers for the three put forward their nations' negotiating positions at a two-day meeting of EC foreign ministers that was also due to address world trade talks, the recent U.S. decision to levy heavy punitive duties on steel imports and the Yugoslav conflict.
Austria, Finland and Sweden all said they could accept provisions of the Union on European Union, which set up goals of a common foreign and security policy.
However, Ulf Dinkelspiel, Sweden's minister on European affairs and foreign trade, said: ''Sweden's policy of non-participation in military alliances remains unchanged. At the same time, we recognize that the eventual framing of a common defense policy is one of the goals'' of the Community to be discussed in 1996.
''We will not hamper the development of the European Union as it moves towards this goal.''
Neutrality initially posed problems for both Austria and Sweden.
All three nations asked that their particular circumstances, especially government support for agriculture, be taken into account in accession talks, which will continue in separate conferences between the twelve-member EC and each of the candidate nations.
Negotiations with Norway are expected to begin later this year.
Denmark, which now holds the presidency of the Council of Ministers, has indicated it will make the enlargement of the Community from 12 nations to 15 a priority during its tenure, which expires at the end of June, and the three applicants are expected to become members by the beginning of 1995 unless the talks hit a snag.
Austria applied for membership in July 1989, Sweden in July 1991 and Finland in March 1992.
Earlier EC foreign ministers, meeting for the first time since Denmark took over presidency Jan. 1, kicked off their gathering in a live television broadcast for the first time to counter concerns the EC's workings are too secretive.
The ministers delivered mainly prepared speeches to open the meeting.
Denmark's ''one main priority'' in the next six months is delivering a ''clear yes'' to the Maastricht treaty on European union, Danish Foreign Minister Niels Helveg-Petersen said in televised remarks to open the meeting.
Danish voters on June 2 narrowly rejected the treaty, which would consolidate the 12-member EC as a free-trade zone and advance political and monetary union among EC members.
But the Danes are expected to approve the treaty in a second referendum this year because of special opt-outs granted to Copenhagen at an EC summit in December.
The ministers also were to discuss the former Yugoslavia, relations with Central and Eastern Europe and Israel.
