ZAGREB, Jan 24 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Ivica Racan will resume his European tour on Monday when he will visit Brussels and hold talks with European Commission President Romano Prodi.
ZAGREB, Jan 24 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Ivica Racan will resume his
European tour on Monday when he will visit Brussels and hold talks
with European Commission President Romano Prodi. #L#
The hour-long official talks between Prodi and Racan will revolve
around Zagreb's final preparations for submitting an application
for full membership of the European Union. Croatia is to submit its
application either in Athens on 18 February or in Brussels on 25
February.
The EC president and the Croatian premier will consider the further
strengthening of relations between Croatia and the EU, the
continuation of the implementation of the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement (SAA) and of a provisional agreement
containing major provisions from the SAA, signed to bridge the
period until the SAA comes into force.
In the coming weeks, Racan will fly to several European capitals,
including Athens, Rome and Vienna, to seek support for Croatia's
candidacy for the EU membership.
Last Monday (20 January), Racan was in Berlin where he met
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder who told him that Croatia could count
on Berlin's support to its bids to become a full member of the EU.
Earlier this month, Georgios Papandreou, the foreign minister of
Greece, which is holding th presidency of the EU in the first half of
2003, visited Zagreb where he voiced his support to Zagreb's
aspirations to join the EU.
During his recent visit to Poland, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic
received the confirmation from his Polish counterpart Alexander
Kwasniewski that Warsaw backed Croatia's efforts to enter the EU.
Poland should become an EU full member in 2004.
During his European tour, Premier Racan will be accompanied by
Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and European Integration Minister
Neven Mimica.
On Tuesday, Minister Picula is to meet European Commissioner Chris
Patten and the EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and
Security Policy, Javier Solana.
A day later, Picula is to pay an official visit to Luxembourg at the
invitation of Foreign Minister Lydia Polfer. The Croatian minister
and his Luxembourgian counterpart will sign an administrative
agreement on the implementation of the social insurance contract.
(hina) ms