ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - Launching a party campaign entitled "Towards Europe with the HNS" in Zagreb on Saturday, Croatian People's Party (HNS) leader Vesna Pusic said the task of the present generation was Croatia's admission to the
European Union, just as the task of their fathers and mothers was victory over fascism.
ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - Launching a party campaign entitled
"Towards Europe with the HNS" in Zagreb on Saturday, Croatian
People's Party (HNS) leader Vesna Pusic said the task of the present
generation was Croatia's admission to the European Union, just as
the task of their fathers and mothers was victory over fascism. #L#
The HNS believes that entry into the second enlargement round and
the fulfilment of conditions for full EU membership by 2007 is a
first-class national interest and part of Croatia's development
strategy, Pusic said, adding this was the reason why the party
decided to help remove prejudices and stress the benefits of EU
membership.
Croatia can be led to Europe only by citizens who are informed about
where they are going and how and when they can arrive there, Pusic
said.
The campaign will recall obligations which Croatia must meet in the
process of integration in the EU and offer concrete solutions for
their fulfilment, Pusic said.
Although 75-80% of Croatian citizens support the country's entry
into the EU, a large number of them are not informed about the EU and
do not know what is awaiting Croatia on the road to the EU, Pusic
said.
She stated that Croatia had made the most progress in meeting
economic criteria, while the process of meeting political criteria
- democracy, human rights, minority rights and cooperation with the
U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague - was the tardiest.
The political criteria translated into concrete requests may seem a
little unpleasant, especially if there is no culture of respect for
one's own institutions and laws, she said. However, if there is no
such structure, one should start building one and reach the level
where nobody will even think about disrespecting the laws of their
country, Pusic concluded.
The HNS campaign deals with one of the five main topics about which
the party wants to open a public debate ahead of elections. The
campaign will also be staged in other Croatian towns.
The HNS has already opened a public debate on a new system of public
administration.
(hina) rml