ZAGREB, Jan 27(Hina) - Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on Monday called on Italy to follow an example of 12 EU countries and unconditionally ratify the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Croatia and the EU.
ZAGREB, Jan 27(Hina) - Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on Monday called on
Italy to follow an example of 12 EU countries and unconditionally
ratify the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Croatia and
the EU.#L#
During Tuesday's question time in parliament, Sanader called on the
governments of Great Britain and the Netherlands to do the same. The
two countries have not yet ratified the SAA between Croatia and the
European Union.
Croatia showed its democratic and pro-European orientation during the
term of office of the former government as well as during this
government's term and there is no reason for Italy not to ratify the
SAA.
The PM said he did not think Italy would again raise the issue of the
restitution of property to Italians who fled Croatia during and in the
wake of WWII because the issue had already been regulated. He said he
also hoped Italy would not bring up the issue of the fishing and
ecological zone in the Adriatic.
"I believe Croatia will implement its laws the way they were adopted
in parliament," Sanader told Tonci Tadic of the Croatian Party of
Rights who wondered whether Croatia should implement a decision on the
fishing and ecological zone in an agreement with Italy.
"We have about ten months to implement that decision. I want to talk
with Italian officials to get acquainted with the points of their
interest, but the decision must be implemented and cannot be
withdrawn," the PM said
Sanader reiterated he was confident that this spring the European
Commission would adopt a positive opinion regarding Croatia's
application for EU membership and set the date of the start of the
negotiations on full membership.
He refuted allegations that the HDZ's coming to power would undermine
Croatia's chances to enter the EU.
Officials of the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, the
European Commission, and NATO have positively assessed the transfer
of the authority in Croatia, Sanader said and added that during
bilateral talks it was said the the transfer of the authority had been
conducted in line with democratic standards.
(Hina) it sb