PACK, SKRABALO ON CROATIA'S PATH TO EU

ZAGREB, March 25 (Hina) - The head of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Southeast Europe, Doris Pack, and the chairman of the Croatian parliament Sub-Committee for Cooperation with the European Parliament, Ivo Skrabalo, released a joint statement on Tuesday in which they hailed and supported Croatia's application for EU membership and called on the other EU member countries to ratify the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Croatia and the EU. #L# The European Parliament entirely supports Croatia's application and expects the countries which have not yet ratified the SAA to do so in the near future, Pack said after talks with Skrabalo. The European Parliament delegation is on a visit to Croatia and over the past several days members of the delegation held talks with representatives of the Croatian parliament's sub-committee for relations with the European Parliament. The statement also urges Croatian parliamentary political parties to closely cooperate in meeting conditions set to Croatia on its path to the EU. Also hailed is the adoption of a constitutional law on national minorities and a law on Croatian Radio Television, as well as the strengthening of relations with neighbours. Croatia must meet the Copenhagen criteria, implement the rule of law and enable the return of refugees and restitution of property, Pack said. The Croatian government and parliament are urged to accelerate judiciary reforms and encourage cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The Homeland War must not be questioned, but war crimes committed during it must be processed, Pack said at the end of the delegation's visit to Croatia. (hina) it