BELGRADE, April 9 (Hina) - Croatia has the status of an observer in the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), but it wants to become a full member, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said at a summit of the SEECP in Belgrade
on Wednesday.
BELGRADE, April 9 (Hina) - Croatia has the status of an observer in
the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP), but it wants
to become a full member, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said at a
summit of the SEECP in Belgrade on Wednesday. #L#
"I am glad to say that our government has accepted in principle my
proposal that we apply for full membership," Mesic said addressing
the summit.
Times of the irrational fear that regional cooperation might hide
dangers for Croatia's independence are behind, he said.
"Today Croatia accepts and is involved in regional cooperation as a
normal way of developing relations with its closest neighbours and
countries from its wider neighbourhood," he said.
Croatia wants the situation in Serbia and Montenegro to stabilise
fully as soon as possible, the president said.
Organised crime, corruption and collusion between crime and
politics is an evil which must be fought decisively both
individually and through cooperation, Mesic said.
Addressing the leaders of South-East European countries attending
the summit, Mesic said integration with the European Union was an
objective shared by all participants in the summit. The open door
policy must be a common goal, which can and must be achieved before
the EU's doors are definitely opened, he said.
Speaking about the causes of the recent wars in the ex-Yugoslavia,
Mesic said criminals had to be brought to justice so that one could
do away with the ghosts of the past before embarking on the path
towards Europe. Everybody who had to flee their countries or were
expelled and want to return should be allowed to do so, he added.
"I am deeply confident that this can be done only in close
cooperation between Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia and
Montenegro," Mesic said, advocating the signing of a trilateral
agreement facilitating refugee returns.
Speaking about the war in Iraq, Mesic said there were differences in
opinion regarding ways to solve the Iraqi crisis, and stressed the
need to strengthen the role of and reform the United Nations.
Raising relations to a higher level and developing regional
cooperation on the basis of full equality and mutual benefit
contributes to the stabilisation of South-East Europe, the whole of
Europe and the world, Mesic said.
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