ZAGREB, April 16 (Hina) - A positive opinion of the European Commission on Croatia's application for membership in the European Union, which is expected next Tuesday, will be an important signal to countries in the region that they
can realise their European ambitions, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said in Zagreb on Friday after talks with Montenegro's President Filip Vujanovic.
ZAGREB, April 16 (Hina) - A positive opinion of the European Commission
on Croatia's application for membership in the European Union, which
is expected next Tuesday, will be an important signal to countries in
the region that they can realise their European ambitions, Croatian
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said in Zagreb on Friday after talks with
Montenegro's President Filip Vujanovic.#L#
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Sanader said that Croatia
"expects a positive opinion of the European Commission on Tuesday" and
a decision on candidate status in June.
"The diplomatic struggle of this and the previous government is not
only to the benefit of Croatia, but it will certainly also have a
positive and beneficial effect on our neighbours," Sanader said.
Vujanovic congratulated Croatia on this "feat", agreeing that a
positive opinion about Croatia would also be a great chance for
Montenegro and the entire region.
"We are not interested in the Montenegrin economy collapsing," Sanader
said, adding that he would personally see to it that trade between the
two countries was "more balanced".
Both officials stressed the importance of completing the
Adriatic-Ionian Highway and great opportunities for strengthening
cooperation in tourism.
The Montenegrin president called on Croatian companies to come to
Montenegro and get involved in privatisation processes there.
Vujanovic said that a bill on minorities in Montenegro was nearing
completion and that it would make it possible for the Croatian
community there to have its representative in the Montenegrin
Assembly.
Commenting on the resignation of Goran Svilanovic as foreign minister
of Serbia-Montenegro and an expected confirmation of Serbian Renewal
Movement leader Vuk Draskovic as his successor, Vujanovic said that
this was Serbia's choice in which Montenegro had no right to
interfere.
"Montenegro has to support this if we want to function as a union of
two equal states," Vujanovic said, adding that Montenegro expected
Draskovic to act in line with the Constitutional Charter of the Union
of Serbia-Montenegro.
Earlier in the day, Vujanovic met Croatian Foreign Minister Miomir
Zuzul and Parliament Vice-President Luka Bebic. On Thursday, he held
talks with President Stjepan Mesic, with whom he attended a founding
session of the Croatian-Montenegrin Friendship Council.
(Hina) vm