BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4863

HR-BULLETIN-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4863 HINA Zagreb 13 February 2003GOVERNMENT ADOPTS DECISION ON SUBMITTING APPLICATION FOR EU MEMBERSHIPZAGREB, Feb 13 (Hina) - The government on Thursday formally adopted a decision on submitting an application for Croatia's membership of the European Union. Prime Minister Ivica Racan will hand the application to the Greek Presidency of the European Union in Athens on February 21. Along with the application, Racan will hand a parliament resolution on joining the EU, which all political parties adopted by consensus last December. The application will be signed by head of state Stjepan Mesic and Premier Racan. "When Croatia will be admitted to the EU depends on us, our efforts to implement reforms, but also on the EU and its internal relations," said Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and added that even the longest path started with the first step. The Union is an exceptionally dynamic mechanism, said Picula and expressed hope that it