ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - Membership in the European Union and NATO, relations with neighbours, developing economic diplomacy, and changing Croatia's international image are the five priorities of the foreign policy, Minister Miomir
Zuzul said at a news conference for domestic and foreign press in Zagreb on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - Membership in the European Union and NATO,
relations with neighbours, developing economic diplomacy, and changing
Croatia's international image are the five priorities of the foreign
policy, Minister Miomir Zuzul said at a news conference for domestic
and foreign press in Zagreb on Wednesday.#L#
The Croatian government is ambitious and wants to catch up with
developments which are far ahead of us, Zuzul said while commenting on
the government's plan to obtain the European Commission's opinion on
its EU membership application by June this year and a positive opinion
would enable Croatia to officially apply for EU membership. Zuzul said
that the chance of this happening was realistic.
Membership in NATO is almost inextricably connected with EU
membership, Zuzul said saying that the former government had achieved
too little with regard to membership in NATO, which "has the same
political requirements and slightly less difficult adjustment
criteria".
Croatia wants to have good relations with all neighbours. How
successful those relations are will determine the success of the first
two goals, he said.
Zuzul also spoke about the meeting with his Slovene counterpart
Dimitrij Rupel, to take place in Zagreb on Friday.
"We won't be able to solve on Friday what has not been solved since
our independence, and what has deteriorated in recent years," Zuzul
said.
The purpose of the meeting is to defuse the situation, depoliticise it
and see the problems as they really are, Zuzul said.
The fact that the coverage of imports by exports is only 40 percent
points to the importance of economic diplomacy, the minister said.
Changing Croatia's international image, the fifth ministry's priority,
is necessary because too often people who come to Croatia "are
pleasantly surprised", which means that the country's "image is not
such as it deserves and as it should be".
Speaking about the organisation of the ministry, Zuzul said that the
ministry's new structure would be drafted by the end of the month to
adjust it to the tasks of the foreign policy. Among the changes is the
introduction of the first political administration, which will
incorporate sectors for the EU, NATO and bilateral relations with NATO
and EU member-countries.
Croatian diplomats should be professional and highly educated, Zuzul
said, announcing changes in diplomatic missions and explaining that
those changes were not 'purges'.
The minister also introduced his associates, State Secretary Gordan
Bakota, the head of the minister's cabinet, Aleksandar Heina, and
ministry spokesman Dobroslav Silobrcic.
(Hina) rml sb