ZAGREB, Jan 19 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader met the leaders of parliamentary parties on Monday, and said once again that Croatia's ambition was to be ready to join the European Union in 2007.
ZAGREB, Jan 19 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader met the
leaders of parliamentary parties on Monday, and said once again that
Croatia's ambition was to be ready to join the European Union in
2007.#L#
"Our ambition is to complete all the preparations and be ready for
2007. The political decision, of course, does not lie with us, but
with the EU," Sanader told reporters after the meeting when asked to
comment on the statement by EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter
Verheugen that Croatia would not be admitted into the bloc that year.
Verheugen told the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung last week
that the Croatian government should not have too great expectations
about Croatia's admission into the EU in 2007.
"2007 is the date that may bring about a lot of disappointment,"
Verheugen told the newspaper.
"If someone thinks differently, they will have to explain their
position, but Croatia can certainly complete all the preparations by
2007," Sanader said, adding that this would be possible if Croatia's
membership application was given a positive opinion in the spring, if
it was granted candidate status in June and if membership negotiations
started soon after that.
"Croatia has launched a diplomatic initiative to win support from all
EU members for its bid to join the EU," Sanader said when asked
whether Croatia would launch a diplomatic drive towards Britain and
the Netherlands, the two countries that have not ratified the
Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Croatia and the EU.
Responding to a reporter's comment that ratification of the agreement
by the two countries was made conditional on the arrest and handover
of fugitive general Ante Gotovina to the UN war crimes tribunal in The
Hague, the prime minister said that a positive report by the
tribunal's chief prosecutor was a condition for the ratification.
Sanader said he did not know when Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte
might visit Zagreb.
The prime minister said he was pleased with the talks with the leaders
of parliamentary parties, whom he informed of his meetings with top EU
officials during his recent European tour.
Sanader said the meeting with the party leaders showed the maturity of
all the parties to overcome their individual interests and to reach
agreement on key issues regardless of their political orientation.
"This shows (our) maturity and determination to contribute to our
common goal -- Croatia's entry into the EU and NATO," Sanader said.
(Hina) vm sb