SCHUESSEL COMMENDS CROATIA AT STUDY DAYS OF EURO PEOPLE'S PARTY IN VIENNA

VIENNA, March 23 (Hina) - Croatia should be encouraged and supported on its path towards the European Union, said participants in the European People's Party (EPP) Study Days, a two-day event which started in Vienna on Tuesday.#L# Opening the meeting of representatives of European conservative parties, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel said the EU's enlargement had to be followed by projects which would contribute to the progress of the continent. He went on to say that the current process of EU enlargement should continue with the admission of Romania and Bulgaria and that "Croatia, which is making good and big steps in preparations, should definitely be supported, given a chance and enabled to enter the European Union". He added that Turkey should not be discouraged but supported in a bid to meet the Copenhagen criteria. The leader of the New Slovenia - the Christian People's Party, Lojze Peterle, also voiced support for Croatia's efforts to join the EU. Participants in the debate said that Croatia should be backed in its efforts to draw closer to the EU and that each country in south-eastern Europe should be assessed according to individual merits and development. "It is important for Croatia to become a part of the EU as this will be a positive sign for other countries in the region," said Schuessel, who is also the president of the Austrian People's Party (OeVP). Schuessel said he had been visiting Croatia since the time when the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman was in power, that he had meetings with opposition leaders and successfully cooperated with the former government and that he knew the incumbent Prime Minister Ivo Sanader very well, Sanader arrived at this event later on Tuesday afternoon. The Austrian chancellor described Sanader as a convinced and confirmed European, adding that Sanader's job would be easier if he received full support from European officials and if Croatia was offered European prospects. The Study Days focus on four topics: the revival of Europe's economy, the situation in talks on a European constitution, the fight against terrorism and illegal migrations, and the EU's new neighbours. (Hina) ms