WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, March 3 (Hina) - Croatia supports Bosnia-Herzegovina's efforts to join the EU and NATO's Partnership for Peace programme as the best way of strengthening its stability and self-reliance, Croatia's representative
to the U.N., Vladimir Drobnjak, said on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, March 3 (Hina) - Croatia supports
Bosnia-Herzegovina's efforts to join the EU and NATO's Partnership for
Peace programme as the best way of strengthening its stability and
self-reliance, Croatia's representative to the U.N., Vladimir
Drobnjak, said on Wednesday.#L#
Addressing a United Nations Security Council session focusing on
Bosnia, Drobnjak said clear and unambiguous prospects of joining the
European Union for all countries in Europe's south-east were the best
incentive to reforms in those countries and the region as a whole.
The direct result of that is the expansion of democratic stability and
the Europe of peace, cooperation and development to Bosnia and
Croatia's wider neighbourhood, said Drobnjak.
The adoption of European standards will result in Bosnia's becoming a
completely self-reliant country, independent of foreign aid and
political guidance, he added.
Drobnjak said Croatia wanted an integral and unified Bosnia for a
neighbour and partner with strong institutions and uniform economic
mechanisms, a country cooperating with other countries in the region.
He added Croatia was willing to help Bosnia in its efforts to join the
EU and the NATO Partnership for Peace programme.
Bosnia wishes to sign a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with
the Union by the end of the year, and to join Partnership for Peace at
NATO's Istanbul summit this June.
Drobnjak went on to say that the well-being of Croats in Bosnia and
the protection of their rights continued to be Croatia's strategic
interest, and stressed that there was plenty of room to improve their
current position.
He said Croatia hoped in that respect the international community
would act more effectively so as to ensure the equality of Bosnia's
three constituent peoples -- Croats, Muslims and Serbs.
Drobnjak added that apart from extending strong and transparent
support to Bosnian Croats, Croatia also continued to support Bosnia's
territorial integrity.
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