BRUSSELS: MESIC HOLDS TALKS WITH PRODI

BRUSSELS, Feb 10 (Hina) - European Commission President Romano Prodi on Monday welcomed Croatia's decision to apply for membership in the European Union. #L# The EC welcomes Croatia's decision and will immediately launch joint activities, Prodi said at a news conference he held with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic. Mesic arrived in Brussels for a two-day visit on Monday at the invitation of the Belgian Royal Institute for International relations. Prodi said he and Mesic had had friendly and meaningful talks about the relationship between the EU and Croatia, during which they also discussed conditions Croatia was to fulfil, from refugee return to cooperation with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague. The EC president was confident that Croatia's application for EU membership would serve as an example to other Balkan countries and have a stabilising effect on the region. The EU considers all countries in the region its potential members, he added. Mesic said that the Croatian public accepted European integration processes. "They are our destiny and wish," he said, voicing confidence that the submission of the application would accelerate the resolution of other open issues between the EU and Croatia. (hina) rml sb