MUNICH, Germany, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, called on the European Union on Saturday to sign more cooperation deals with Balkan states over the next year.

Without naming specific countries, Rupel told a security conference in the German city of Munich that the 27-member EU should bind his region's states closer to the bloc.

"During our presidency and maybe during the next presidency we should cover this area with European agreements, be it agreements on association and stabilisation, be it candidate status or accession negotiation status," Rupel said.

Slovenia will preside over the 27-member union until the summer, when France will take over until the end of 2008.

Croatia is already leading membership talks with the European Union, while Macedonia has candidate status.

The European Union had aimed to sign a deal with Serbia on trade, visas and education last week but Belgrade's nationalist prime minister blocked the move.

Croatia, Albania and Macedonia, all seeking NATO membership received overt encouragement from NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on Saturday when he said he hoped for new entry invitations at an April summit. (Reporting by Markus Krah, Editing by Mark John)

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