Arriving at the meeting, Luxembourg Foreign Minister and Council of the European Union chair Jean Asselborn said today was a very important day for Croatia. He added the foreign ministers would discuss if the terms had been met to launch the negotiations and then make a conclusion.
Asselborn said that Luxembourg's presidency of the Union would do everything by the end of its term in late June so that the Union's doors remained open to Croatia, regardless of today's conclusions.
EU ambassadors, who prepare the meetings of the foreign ministers, discussed Croatia yesterday. They left the final decision up to the foreign ministers. The discussion was very brief and, contrary to expectations, Luxembourg's presidency did not present draft conclusions.
Today each foreign minister will present their country's position on Croatia, after which the Luxembourg presidency will propose draft conclusions, which the ministers have to adopt unanimously.
According to diplomatic sources, the conclusions are expected to highlight the need for full cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal and state that entry negotiations may be launched once said condition has been met.
EU member countries are divided in assessments of whether Croatia is cooperating fully with the Hague tribunal.
The foreign ministers are expected to adopt a negotiating framework in which the Union would recommend that if the negotiations are postponed they may be opened as soon as Croatia has met the last term -- full cooperation with the UN court.
At a working dinner last night, 10 foreign ministers who are members of the European People's Party adopted a resolution underlining unreserved support for opening the entry negotiations tomorrow.
The resolution expresses conviction that Croatia's cooperation with the Hague tribunal is complete and unreserved and that Croatia has taken comprehensive and far-reaching measures in an effort to track down fugitive indictee Ante Gotovina.
Attending last night's working dinner were Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Foreign Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.