Slovenia hopes to be put in charge of the enlargement portfolio in the new European Commission headed by Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, Foreign Minister Ivo Vajgl said on Wednesday.

"One of the fields Slovenia would be interested in holding within the next European Commission is enlargement," Vajgl said at his first press conference since replacing Dimitrij Rupel, who was fired last month.

Slovenia, a European Union member since May 1, has one seat on the outgoing Commission, held by Janez Potocnik.

He has served as an associate to the commissioner in charge of enlargement, Guenter Verheugen, for six months.

Slovenian Prime Minister Anton Rop has recently said he believed Potocnik would continue to be the country's representative on the commission.