SOLANA HOLDS TALKS WITH REPS. OF PARLIAMENT, POLITICAL PARTIES, ETHNIC MINORITIES

ZAGREB, Feb 17 (Hina) - Croatia's rapprochement with the EU will be determined by the implementation of global reforms, with the accent on the solving of the issues of refugees and ethnic minorities, cooperation with international institutions, an accelerated judicial reform, and the assuming of the appropriate role in the region, the EU High Commissioner for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana said in the Croatian parliament on Tuesday.#L# Addressing leaders of parliamentary parties and chairmen of the committees on foreign affairs, European integration, and internal policy and national security, Solana said cooperation with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague was a painful issue which was best settled as soon as possible. It will be very difficult to get a positive European Commission (EC) opinion of the EU membership application if cooperation with the tribunal is not satisfactory, he added. Croatia needs to have a firm and transparent relationship with the tribunal, Solana said in response to the question whether the issue of fugitive Croatian Army General Ante Gotovina could affect the EC opinion. Croatia's rapprochement with the European Union will be a special moment for both sides, Solana said, underlining tolerance as the model which should prevail in the establishment of relations between any government and ethnic minorities. Everything is possible in the European family of peoples with tolerance, he said. Speaking of the judicial reform, Solana said the quality of a democracy was measured by the degree of development of its justice system. He also spoke of Croatia's role in the region, reiterating that Croatia was developing in a good direction faster than the rest and therefore had to assume certain responsibilities. Croatia has to help its neighbours board the train for Brussels, Solana said. Describing the EU expecting Croatia, he said admission did not mean entering just an economic zone. The EU is huge, bigger than the United States and Japan, and accounts for one-fourth of the world GDP, he said, adding that this entailed responsibility towards the world. The EU is not focused on itself but wants to be active in the global sense, Solana said, adding that the Union's global activity would be multilateral, envisaging problem solving through partnership. The EU is not just an economic zone, it is a political entity, he concluded. While in parliament, he met with representatives of ethnic minorities, who said the "government's steps regarding ethnic minorities are encouraging". "The government has signed an agreement with the Serb minority of which many elements coincide with EU demands," said Serb representative Vojislav Stanimirovic. "This minority supports the government, supports the judicial reform so that, among other things, war criminals can be punished, and will help in the establishment of good relations with Serbia-Montenegro," he added. Representatives of all other ethnic minorities pointed to "good signals" as regards cooperation with the new government. (Hina) ha sb