BRATISLAVA BRATISLAVA, March 19 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader met European Union Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen and NATO's Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on the margins of a conference on relations
between the EU and NATO in Bratislava on Friday, in order to lobby for Croatia's EU and NATO membership.
BRATISLAVA, March 19 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader met
European Union Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen and NATO's
Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer on the margins of a conference
on relations between the EU and NATO in Bratislava on Friday, in order
to lobby for Croatia's EU and NATO membership.#L#
"I had good talks with Verheugen and Scheffer," Sanader told reporters
after the meeting, adding that he asked the two officials to support
Croatia in its bid to enter Euro-Atlantic institutions.
Croatia's premier said his country wanted to be given stronger
assurances at NATO's summit in Istanbul, scheduled for June, regarding
its future membership, instead of the usual statement about NATO's
open door policy.
This is not enough for Croatia, we insist on concrete indications that
NATO appreciates Croatia's efforts and ambition to become its member
and that we will become the alliance's full member in a few years, as
soon as the first chance comes up after the Istanbul summit, Sanader
said.
Sanader said Verheugen would pay a two-day visit to Zagreb in late
May.
The Croatian PM said that he would travel to Washington on 29 April
with the premiers of the member-countries of the Vilnius and Visegrad
Groups for talks with US President George W. Bush on NATO's future.
The latest developments in Kosovo and Serbia were one of the topics of
Sanader's talks in Bratislava.
"Concerns about (the latest developments) were expressed, but also
hope and belief that the situation would be defused soon," Sanader
said.
Responding to a reporter's question, Verheugen said the opinion of the
European Commission on Croatia's membership application could be
expected in early spring.
The participants in the Bratislava conference issued a joint
declaration calling on NATO to okay the admission of Croatia,
Macedonia and Albania as soon as possible. This was also requested by
the conference's host, Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda.
The conference wrapped up with a statement that the EU enlargement was
not over and that cooperation between Europe and the United States was
needed now more than ever.
(Hina) ms sb