Croatia has made exceptional headway in meeting commitments from the OSCE's mandate in nearly every area of development of democratic institutions of the civil society, the police and the media, but it has to improve judicial reform, refugee return, and the rule of law, Ambassador Fuentes told the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday.
He added there was no doubt that Croatia had gone the farthest in democratisation among all the countries in which OSCE had its missions.
In his last report Fuentes said that OSCE's cooperation with the Croatian government was excellent.
Now the situation is better than six months ago, he told Hina and Croatian Radio.
Much has happened. Croatia has opened and temporarily closed the first chapter of the European acquis communautaire. Problems with the Hague tribunal have been eliminated. The OSCE Mission's mandate is proceeding very well and I hope it will end as soon as possible, Fuentes said.
He announced that three of the six units within the OSCE Mission's mandate would be closed this year. I believe that next year we will do much more, he said.
Croatia's Assistant Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister for Multilateral Issues, International Organisations and Security, Pjer Simunovic, said he was satisfied with the agenda and atmosphere at the Vienna meeting.
He said there was consensus regarding the meeting of a large part of commitments from the OSCE's mandate and the phasing of individual units once commitments had been met.
Simunovic said that although Croatia was acknowledged for its achievements in all areas pertaining to the OSCE Mission's mandate, there were outstanding issues. "The reasons for which the OSCE Mission exists in Croatia will be met in the shortest possible time, and we see this deadline in 2007."
The participants in the Vienna discussion commended Croatia's progress, supported the mission's activities and the government's efforts to close the remaining issues.
They also recommended that Montenegro should become a full member of the OSCE, which might take place in one week's time.