ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - The good reception the Croatian government delegation was recently given by EU leaders is not surprising but the result of the previous government's performance, which ensured a good international rating for
Croatia, Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader and former prime minister Ivica Racan said on Friday.
ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - The good reception the Croatian government
delegation was recently given by EU leaders is not surprising but the
result of the previous government's performance, which ensured a good
international rating for Croatia, Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader
and former prime minister Ivica Racan said on Friday.#L#
Talking to reporters ahead of an SDP conference on Mount Sljeme
overlooking Zagreb, Racan said PM Ivo Sanader's European tour had been
successful and that the good reception given by European Union
representatives had been the result of Croatia's good international
standing. He called on the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) government
to make a step further in bringing Croatia closer to the EU.
"I expect that after a positive opinion of Croatia's application for
membership in the EU, the new authorities will work towards securing
the official candidacy and the start of negotiations on membership in
the EU."
Evaluating the new government's first steps, Racan said "certain
gestures and moves" by the HDZ were good and positive and in
accordance with the achieved degree of democracy, but that an integral
assessment would be possible only when the new authorities started
tackling the biggest problems in the country.
He added one should wait with assessing the nature of the HDZ
government also due to "certain scandals," such as people from state
services who were "removed too quickly", before their qualifications
were checked.
As an example he cited yesterday's resignation by the ambassador to
Slovenia, Celestin Sardelic. "I can understand his dissatisfaction
because the authorities ignored him. Such actions, which are carried
out in kid gloves, are cause for concern and in opposition to
Sanader's gestures."
Speaking of bad political moves, Racan mentioned hasty optimistic
statements that open issues between Croatia and Slovenia would be
settled soon and about sending troops to Iraq.
"It's better to be careful with announcements and statements so they
don't turn into big illusions and big disappointments."
Asked if he felt the attitude of the Hague war crimes tribunal had
softened since the HDZ came into power, Racan said he did not see any
difference.
"Why the Hague (tribunal's) prosecution consented that documents be
given to (fugitive Ante) Gotovina's lawyers is another matter but I
wouldn't be too political about it. The authorities had better wait a
little and not be too optimistic," Racan said, wishing the new
government success in its policy towards the Hague tribunal.
(Hina) ha sb