BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4877

HR-BULLETIN-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4877 HINA Zagreb 27 January 2003EC HEAD ENDORSES CROATIA'S INTENTION TO SEEK MEMBERSHIP IN EUBRUSSELS, Jan 27 (Hina) - European Commission president Romano Prodi has endorsed Croatia's intention to submit an official request for membership in the European Union next month. Prodi said this after talks with Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan in Brussels on Monday. Having heard Croatia's arguments for submitting the application, Prodi said after one-hour talks with the Croatian premier that he had concluded the talks with "why not". The premier clearly said Croatia would fulfil its obligations -- cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal, return of refugees, and reforms of the media, the justice system and economy. After this meeting, the EU and Croatia will go together in the same direction, but responsibility lies with the Croatian side, said Prodi. He asserted that his support to Croatia was the joint stance of all in the Uni