BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula in Brussels on Tuesday signed a letter of consent on the regional power supply market in Southeast Europe.
BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula
in Brussels on Tuesday signed a letter of consent on the regional
power supply market in Southeast Europe. #L#
The document has been harmonised under the auspices of the
Stability Pact and is aimed at establishing a regional power supply
market in Southeast Europe and its integration with the EU market.
The document was signed in the Croatian Mission to the EU in
Brussels in the presence of European Commission and Stability Pact
representatives.
The power industry ministers from nine Southeast European
countries agreed in Athens last November on the establishment of a
regional power supply market and its integration with the EU
market. The letter of consent was then signed by Albania, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Romania and
Turkey, while Croatia announced it would signed the letter later.
At its session held on February 20, the Croatian government decides
to sign the letter of consent.
"After analysing what Croatia's interests are, as a country which
at this moment is adjusting its power system, and how this would
influence the liberalisation of the domestic power supply system,
we decided to join the project," Picula said after the signing.
"This signature also has a political meaning, namely that Croatia
shows that it sees a chance for its own economic promotion in its
region which clears last doubt that by submitting its application
for EU membership, Zagreb wanted to separate from its Southeast
European neighbours," Picula said.
The signatories to the letter of consent are obliged to open their
national power supply markets by 2005.
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