ZAGREB, March 31 (Hina) - Croatia has achieved considerable progress in drawing closer to NATO in a relatively short time, Secretary-General George Robertson said in Zagreb on Monday after talks with Prime Minister Ivica
Racan.
ZAGREB, March 31 (Hina) - Croatia has achieved considerable
progress in drawing closer to NATO in a relatively short time,
Secretary-General George Robertson said in Zagreb on Monday after
talks with Prime Minister Ivica Racan. #L#
Racan told reporters the talks addressed the reform of Croatia's
military and the situation in the region, especially in light of the
recent assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.
Robertson told journalists that Croatia had made serious and
significant headway despite being a member of NATO's Membership
Action Plan (MAP) for a relatively short time.
Croatia joined the MAP last May, two years after being admitted to
Partnership for Peace. Currently underway is the first year-long
cycle of reforms envisaged by this programme for potential NATO
candidates, including adjusting standards and criteria to NATO
nations on the political, economic, legal, security, and military
fronts.
Robertson said the MAP was conceived to help countries meet NATO
standards. This assistance will continue, as will insisting on
everything an individual country has to do to be admitted to the
alliance, he said.
Robertson credited Croatia for the considerable contribution to
the bolstering of cooperation in the region, which Racan said was of
national interest.
Commenting on the Djindjic slaying, the NATO secretary-general
said it had been a dangerous omen that the region might again sink
into violence. That is counterbalanced by democratic progress in
countries like Croatia, he said.
Earlier today Robertson held talks with President Stjepan Mesic and
parliament vice president Zdravko Tomac.
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