ZAGREB/DUBLIN, April 16 (Hina) - The European Union expects to decide by June whether it will invite Croatia to join it, Irish Foreign Minister Brian Cowen told a press conference on Friday ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of
present and acceding EU countries in the Irish town of Tullamore.
ZAGREB/DUBLIN, April 16 (Hina) - The European Union expects to decide
by June whether it will invite Croatia to join it, Irish Foreign
Minister Brian Cowen told a press conference on Friday ahead of a
meeting of foreign ministers of present and acceding EU countries in
the Irish town of Tullamore.#L#
The European Commission is due to issue an official opinion, a
so-called avis, next Tuesday on whether Croatia meets the political
and economic criteria for admission to the EU, which will enable the
European Union to invite Croatia to start entry talks.
Cowen said that the Croatian application for EU membership would be
dealt with during the Irish presidency. The Republic of Ireland holds
the EU rotating presidency until the end of June.
Croatia submitted its application in February 2003 and provided
detailed answers to the European Commission questionnaire.
Cowen declined to reveal any details of the European Commission's
opinion about the Croatian application, and added that the application
would not be discussed at the Tullamore meeting this weekend.
The main obstacle to Croatia's admission to the EU is cooperation with
the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The
Hague, notably the case of fugitive general Ante Gotovina.
Croatian officials have said over the last few days they believe the
European Commission's avis will be positive and that Croatia will join
the EU in 2007 along with Romania and Bulgaria.
(Hina) vm