ZAGREB/PARIS, Feb 25 (Hina) - Croatia expects to enter the European Union in 2007, President Stjepan Mesic said in an interview for the French "Le Figaro".
ZAGREB/PARIS, Feb 25 (Hina) - Croatia expects to enter the European
Union in 2007, President Stjepan Mesic said in an interview for the
French "Le Figaro". #L#
The French paper published Mesic's interview a day after he paid a
one-day visit to Paris where he held talks with his French
counterpart Jacques Chirac.
"We expect to join the Union in 2007. Until then we shall have
fulfilled all European norms," the Croatian head of state said,
adding that Zagreb still had to solve some open issues such as the
return of refugees, the restitution of property and cooperation
with the UN war crimes tribunal until that deadline.
Mesic also commented on the Croatian stand on the Iraqi crisis,
which he and his host Jacques Chirac discussed on Monday.
Concerning the matter, the French president severely criticised
the pro-American views of the Vilnius Group, which Zagreb joined.
"Croatia is not one of stigmatised countries in this case. Croatia
wants to see agreement (to be reached on the Iraqi issue) before it
takes its stand," Mesic said, and added that the Iraqi crisis
showed, first of all, that "Europe must be united".
Croatia is a member of the anti-terrorist coalition, but it opposes
war as long as there are possibilities for solving problems without
use of force, he added.
"The ball is not in Iraq's court. It must cooperate with UN
inspectors," Mesic said adding that the war could still be
avoided.
Croatia has not yet responded to Washington's non-paper in which
the United States asks for being allowed to use Croatia's air space
in the event of the war, and Zagreb will give the answer "in
agreement with our European partners," the Croatian president
said.
Speaking about the cooperation with the Hague-based UN tribunal
(ICTY), Mesic said it was in Croatia's interest to cooperate with
the tribunal and see the guilt to be individualised.
Commenting on his testimony at the ICTY's trial of former Yugoslav
president, Slobodan Milosevic, the Croatian head of state said the
process had "has shown that Milosevic has deceived not only the
international community but also his own people".
(hina) ms