FOREIGN MINISTER: CROATIA ON PATH TO FULL MEMBERSHIP OF NATO

MADRID, June 4 (Hina) - Croatia made significant progress on its path to full membership of the Euro-Atlantic family, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said at a meeting of the Euro- Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) in Madrid on Wednesday. #L# "We made significant progress on our way to full membership of the Euro-Atlantic family, but there is a lot more we need to do," Picula said. Addressing his counterparts from NATO member and partner countries, Croatia's foreign minister reminded that ahead of the 12th anniversary of its independence, Croatia, like other countries in transition, "is struggling with a comprehensive reform of the entire country," and added that such a process required a lot of time. Commenting on a global problem, terrorism, and on illegal trade and organised crimes that particularly affected the south-east of Europe, Picula said cooperation with the international community and neighbouring countries was important. He particularly stressed the importance of cooperation within the U.S.-Adriatic Charter and expressed hope the initiative would facilitate Croatia's path to NATO. Picula said Croatia became one of the countries whose armed forces were participating in peace missions across the world. He also said Croatia was not giving up on the implementation of reforms aimed at advancing democratic institutions and the rule of law. The NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said in his speech ahead of a session of the EAPC, a forum comprised of 19 NATO member countries and 27 partner countries, that this was the world's largest permanent coalition which played an important role in the establishment of peace and stability in the Euro-Atlantic region. Robertson announced resoluteness in expanding cooperation with partner countries. (hina) it sb