IT'S TOO EARLY TO SAY IF CROATIA WILL ENTER EU IN 2007-- GREEK OFFICIAL

ZAGREB/ATHENS, May 6 (Hina) - The Greek minister in charge of European issues, Tassos Giannitsis, whose country is holding the six-month rotating presidency over the European Union, has said that it is too early to speak about whether Croatia will enter the EU in 2007, according to the DPA agency. #L# After his talks with Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister, the Greek official on Tuesday said that it was too early to discuss the third or the fourth move in the association process, the same agency reported. This February Zagreb submitted an application for EU membership. Some analysts have assessed that Croatia could join the EU together with Bulgaria and Romania, which are very likely to be admitted into the Union in 2007. Giannitsis, who is deputy Greek foreign minister in charge of European affairs, informed Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, signed by Zagreb and the EU, would be sent next week into the procedure of the Greek parliament to ratify it, according to a statement released by the Croatian foreign ministry on Tuesday afternoon. According to the statement, Simonovic and his host in Athens discussed the necessity for a clear definition of the European future of south-eastern European countries and their individual admission into the EU based on their individual progress in meeting conditions for EU membership. As regards bilateral cooperation, the interlocutors agreed on enhancement of Croatian-Greek cooperation in tourism and transport. Giannitsis accepted an invitation to visit Croatia this September, the foreign ministry's statement read. Simonovic, who took part in a two-day seminar in Athens on the EU's role in prevention of conflicts in south-eastern Europe, held a speech on the perspectives of EU membership as a contribution to the prevention of conflicts. The seminar was organised in Athens under the auspices of the Greek presidency over the EU. (hina) ms