ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - A trip Prime Minister Ivica Racan will make to Berlin on January 20 is the first stop in a tour which sees Croatia lobbying for support for its application to join the EU, government sources said on
Tuesday.
ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - A trip Prime Minister Ivica Racan will make
to Berlin on January 20 is the first stop in a tour which sees
Croatia lobbying for support for its application to join the EU,
government sources said on Tuesday. #L#
In Berlin Racan is to meet German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
Besides Racan, President Stjepan Mesic, Foreign Minister Tonino
Picula and European Integration Minister Neven Mimica also will
take part in the lobbying tour, which will take them to Paris,
London, Madrid, Rome, Athens, and Vienna.
There will be more destinations as Croatia wishes to use every
opportunity to get support for its intention to join the European
Union, Racan told journalists today.
Racan is scheduled to visit Brussels on January 27 and Athens on
February 18.
The prime minister dismissed remarks that the lobbying for support
was an electoral move by him and his Social Democrats.
The coalition government partners are agreed this is a historic
chance for Croatia to access the Union alone, an opportunity not to
be missed, he said.
This Friday Zagreb will host a meeting of the prime ministers of
Croatia, Italy, Hungary, and Slovenia. Croatia expects to win its
neighbours' support for its bids.
(hina) ha