ZAGREB ZAGREB, Jan 23(Hina) - Political relations between Croatia and Great Britain are good and economic relations can be much better, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said at a business forum in Zagreb on Friday.
ZAGREB, Jan 23(Hina) - Political relations between Croatia and Great
Britain are good and economic relations can be much better, Croatian
President Stjepan Mesic said at a business forum in Zagreb on Friday.#L#
The forum, organised by the Croatian-British Business Network at the
Sheraton Hotel, discussed relations between the two countries in
light of Croatia's efforts to join the European Union.
Mesic, who attended the event as a guest of honour, expressed a desire
for more direct investment by British companies and for more British
tourists to visit Croatia.
Speaking of Britain's position on the ratification of the
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between the EU and
Croatia, Mesic said that "the way out of this situation is for
Croatian authorities to try to reinforce their commitment to the
policy of unconditional cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal
through more cooperation with the tribunal, through concrete deeds, so
that this policy is not dependent on individual cases".
Britain has put ratification of the SAA on hold because it considers
Croatia's cooperation with the Hague tribunal to be insufficient. For
the same reason, the Netherlands, whose parliament has ratified the
SAA, has refused to notify the EU Council of Ministers of the
ratification.
Addressing the forum, the British Ambassador to Croatia, Nicholas
Jarrold, cited numerous examples of cooperation and Britain's
assistance to Croatia in adjusting to standards of the European Union
and NATO.
(Hina) vm sb