VERHEUGEN SAYS 'AVIS' ON CROATIAN APPLICATION TO BE PRESENTED VERY SOON

LJUBLJANA, April 18 (Hina) - The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Guenter Verheugen, has said that European Commission is considering Croatia's EU membership application and it will soon present its opinion ('avis') on the matter.#L# Verheugen, who on Sunday gave an interview to the Slovene news agency STA, said Croatia was the only country in the western Balkans to be close to meeting political and economic criteria for admission to the European Union. "As regards the Balkans, the region has prospects of membership. But those countries are very far from fulfilling political and economic criteria for the admission and I do not think that they can now be given the timetable (for membership)," the EC official told the STA. Verheugen, however, pointed to Croatia as the only country which enjoys prospects of entering the Union in the foreseeable future. Perhaps, the only exception is Croatia, which a well developed country. The European Commission is considering its EU membership application and we shall present our position on it in a few days, he said. Verheugen declined to comment on Croatian-Slovene relations. He only added that as regards the dispute on the border at sea, he welcomed announcements that the issue would go to the arbitration. "If both countries agree that arbitration is necessary, then I welcome this and encourage them to find a solution in that manner. This (arbitration) seems to be the best way," he said. (Hina) ms