BUDAPEST BUDAPEST, Feb 4(Hina) - Being the only country from those covered by the Stabilisation and Assocation process (SAP) that has applied for membership in the European Union, Croatia is in a unique position in relation to the
association process, and it fully accepts its share of responsibility for the continuation of the implementation of the European project through fulfillment of the Copenhagen and other criteria, the Croatian parliament's president, Vladimir Seks, said in Budapest on Wednesday.
BUDAPEST, Feb 4(Hina) - Being the only country from those covered by
the Stabilisation and Assocation process (SAP) that has applied for
membership in the European Union, Croatia is in a unique position in
relation to the association process, and it fully accepts its share of
responsibility for the continuation of the implementation of the
European project through fulfillment of the Copenhagen and other
criteria, the Croatian parliament's president, Vladimir Seks, said in
Budapest on Wednesday.#L#
The Hungarian capital is hosting the 16th meeting of the European
Parliament (EP) president with the presidents of parliaments of
countries involved in the Union's enlargement process.
Addressing the second working session within the 16th meeting on
Wednesday, entitled "Parliamentary Cooperation between the Enlarged
Unon and SAp countries," Seks pointed out Zagreb's readiness to
cooperate with the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal.
"I would like to underline Croatia's readiness to fully cooperate with
the Hague tribunal, which will be recognised, we hope, in the next
report of the tribunal's Chief Prosecutor," Seks told the event which
pooled the heads of parliament of 10 countries that join the Union on
1 May, three candidate countries as well as heads of parliament of
south-eastern European countries covered by the SAp, who attended this
meeting for the first time.
The Croatian representative described the next enlargement wave as
historic, adding that "we are a generation of the privileged that
witnessed the tearing down of walls, and is living with the idea of
the new Europe without borders".
Seks went on to say that the next wave of the expansion should be
viewed as a step in a process and that the entire area of Europe's
South-East should be given European prospects.
"It is difficult to imagine a joint European house in which some rooms
are locked or neglected," the Sabor president said.
He voiced hope that this June his country would be granted the status
of EU entry candidate and announced the continuation of energetic
reforms which would render Croatia ready to join the Union by 2007 or
2008.
Speaking of the future cooperation between the enlarged Union and the
five SAp countries, Seks said he expected the European Parliament to
soon make a decision on the future of the EP delegation for
south-eastern Europe.
Croatia supports the establishment of separate EP delegations for
cooperation with each country covered by the SAp, as this confirms the
principle of individual approach and adequately reflects progress in
relations between Croatia and the EU, Seks said.
Recalling that Croatia had always been given substantial support from
the European Parliament in efforts to accomplish its objectives, he
voiced hope that this practice would continue in other issues,
including the European Parliament's recommendations on Croatia's EU
membership application and the Parliament's opinion on a new
instrument envisaged for the SAp countries, namely European
partnership.
Seks reiterated that Croatia fully supported the further strengthening
of all forms of cooperation between the countries covered by the SAp
and the enlarged EU as well as comprehensive parliamentary
cooperation.
(Hina) ms