(DUBROVNIK) - Leaders of nine EU and aspirant countries are to discuss enlargement of the bloc this weekend amid a crisis sparked by Ireland's 'No' to a reform treaty, a statement said Friday.

The talks on Saturday will focus on the "functioning of the European Union after the Lisbon Treaty and European energy strategy," said a Croatian government statement.

The summit hosted by Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader will be attended by counterparts Sali Berisha of Albania, Ferenc Gyurcsany of Hungary, Hashim Thaci of Kosovo, Milo Djukanovic of Montenegro and Robert Fico of Slovakia.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was also expected as well as the foreign ministers of Bosnia and Macedonia, Sven Alkalaj and Antonio Milososki.

In June Irish voters rejected the reform treaty aimed at streamlining EU institutions as the European Union is expanding.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country on Tuesday took over six-month EU presidency, cast doubts on the planned entry of the most advanced candidate Croatia because of the Irish vote.

But Croatian leaders said they were confident that the current crisis would not jeopardize the country's plans to join the bloc.

Croatia is set to become the EU's 28th member in 2010.

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