CROATIAN POLITICAL PARTIES HAIL POSITIVE 'AVIS'

ZAGREB, April 20 (Hina) - All parliamentary parties on Tuesday welcomed the positive opinion of the European Commission on Croatia's EU membership application, but warned that Croatia still had much to do to obtain candidate status and start accession talks.#L# Sabor President Vladimir Seks said the positive 'avis' was the crown of the political activities of the incumbent government led by Ivo Sanader and the previous coalition government led by Ivica Racan in the fulfilment of necessary criteria. He added that parliamentary delegations which had visited European capitals had also contributed to the promotion of Croatia as a possible EU candidate. The leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ivica Racan, said he had been optimistic about a positive avis as he had known that his government had done a good job in fulfilling conditions to obtain an avis. "It was important to continue with the European policy, the new government has done it and it did not undermine what we did in that regard," the former PM said. The HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) government has to continue with successful steps on the path towards the EU, i.e. with a pro-European policy and cooperation with the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal, as these are conditions for an assessment on whether Croatia will be granted candidate status in June and whether it will be given the green light for the start of accession talks, Racan said adding that he was hopeful the decision on the negotiations would be made by year's end. Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS) leader Ivan Cehok said the good and offensive foreign policy of the Ivo Sanader Cabinet as well as the political maturity of both the authorities and the opposition over the past three months were crucial for the positive avis. "But citizens should be told that we now have to convince Europe to open accession talks (with Croatia)," the HSLS chief said. The leader of the Liberal Party (LS), Zlatko Kramaric, believes that the positive opinion is a reward to Croatia for its European conduct, but that there is no need for euphoria as this is the first step in Croatia's accession to the EU. Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) leader Anto Djapic said he had expected the avis to be positive as "after so many sticks which Croatia received from the international community, it was high time for a carrot". "The expected avis has been obtained and as of today more concrete conditions are to be met," the HSP leader said. Croatian People's Party (HNS) chief Vesna Pusic said the avis proved that Croatia's efforts over the last four years had yielded results, and that today's outcome should be ascribed, to the greatest extent, to the answers to the EC questionnaire which the former coalition government submitted in October 2003. The current government should now do all that is necessary to ensure a formal candidate status in June and a date for the start of accession talks, Pusic added. The Istrian Democratic Alliance (IDS) vice-president, Damir Kajin, described the avis as Croatia's democratic identity card enabling it to join the EU. However, he warned that the incumbent government should invest more efforts to solve economic and social problems. The vice-president of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), Milorad Pupovac, described the avis as the confirmation of the democratic endeavours made by both the previous government and the current one. This is also a framework for new duties which should be done in order to introduce European democratic standards, Pupovac said. The Croatian Peasant Party (HSS) issued a press release saying it had expected a positive avis in light of the fact that Croatia's speedy accession to the Union was one of the priorities of the former coalition government, which also included the HSS. The press release read that the incumbent government should continue with the reforms launched by the previous authorities and make the national economy competitive in relation to EU members. (Hina) ms