ZAGREB, April 22 (Hina) - Croatia's progress in bids to come closer to the European Union has set an example, and Zagreb could take a role of an advisor of other countries in the region covered by that process, the international
community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown, said in Zagreb after his talks with Croatian President on Tuesday.
ZAGREB, April 22 (Hina) - Croatia's progress in bids to come closer
to the European Union has set an example, and Zagreb could take a
role of an advisor of other countries in the region covered by that
process, the international community's High Representative to
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown, said in Zagreb after his talks
with Croatian President on Tuesday. #L#
Ashdown told reporters that President Stjepan Mesic and he had
discussed the integration process of south-eastern Europe into the
Union in light of the forthcoming EU summit in Salonika, set for
June.
The British diplomat added that he had told Mesic that Croatia's
progress towards the European Union was a model to be followed by
the entire region and that Croatia could play a role as advisor to
other countries in the region in their efforts to set up structures
which would enable them to approach the EU at an equal pace.
Ashdown and the Croatian head of state talked about how it was
important for the countries in the region to fight together against
organised crime which the Briton described as the biggest threat to
the stability of the region, as nationalism had used to be.
Ashdown added that Mesic and he had agreed that it was necessary for
Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia-Montenegro and Macedonia to cooperate in
actions against organised crime.
Mesic and his interlocutor also talked about how it was necessary
for Bosnia to carry out economic reforms and in this segment,
Ashdown said, the Croat population in Herzegovina should play a
great role.
According to him, in that context President Mesic offered Croatia's
assistance in plans to build a motorway between the port of Ploce
and the Hungarian border (which would pass through Bosnia), perhaps
in line with an economic model which is currently being applied in
the construction of motorways in Croatia.
Asked by reporters about plans to make a list of persons from the
former Yugoslavia who would not be allowed to enter European Union
countries, Ashdown said the EU had the right to introduce the system
of bans on granting visas to persons who harboured war criminals.
According to Ashdown, the list is likely to include about a hundred
persons from Bosnia, Serbia-Montenegro and Macedonia of all ethnic
origins.
Earlier on Tuesday, Ashdown met a Croatian Vice Premier, Goran
Granic, with whom he discussed the current state of affairs in
Bosnia, the process of the return of refugees, the struggle against
organised crime and the process of coming closer to the EU.
According to a statement released by the Croatian government, the
British diplomat pointed out the importance of Zagreb's
constructive policy towards Bosnia.
Granic notified him that Croatia would try to completely solve the
problem of refugees until the end of this year. For this purpose the
Ivica Racan Cabinet will invest over 107 million euros, Granic
said.
(hina) ms sb