BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 5352

BRUSSELS, June 18 (Hina) - The European Council decided on Friday togrant Croatia the status of an official candidate for membership ofthe European Union and scheduled accession talks for early next year. Croatian President Stjepan Mesic addressed thenation on Friday following the decision by the European Council togrant Croatia the status of an official candidate for EU membership,saying that EU membership was the country's most important strategicgoal. A few minutes after the European Counciladopted the decision on granting Croatia EU candidate status andstarting entry talks in early 2005, reporters were addressed by theCouncil chairman, Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, EuropeanCommission President Romano Prodi, EU High Representative for theCommon Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, and Croatian PrimeMinister Ivo Sanader. Croatian Parliament President Vladimir Sekshas said the European Council's decision on Croatia's s