KRYNICA, Sept 4 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has said there is no dilemma for his country concerning European Union enlargement and the question whether this process is at the first or the last stage.
KRYNICA, Sept 4 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has said
there is no dilemma for his country concerning European Union
enlargement and the question whether this process is at the first or
the last stage. #L#
"There is no dilemma for us. For Croatia it is not disputable that
the current enlargement of the EU is only the first stage of the
integration of Europe," Mesic said at the 13th Economic Forum which
is taking place in the Polish city of Krynica.
In a speech before his Polish, Macedonian and Romanian
counterparts, Aleksandar Kwasniewski, Boris Trajkovski and Ion
Iliescu, and gathered business people, politicians and experts,
Mesic said that the process of integration of European countries
was based on economic foundations and if there was any dilemma it
only referred to the dynamic of the process.
"I believe that economic prerequisites must be crucial in the
process of the admission of new transitional countries into the
EU," the Croatian head of state said.
He went on to say that Croatia did not require from old EU members
any new financial transfers.
"We wish to develop with our own strengths, using the mechanisms of
free market and entrepreneurship. But we need technical assistance
in adopting technical standards and in integrating our major
economic infrastructure," Mesic said.
He voiced confidence that around 2006 a new wave of EU expansion
would ensue and in this regard Croatia expected the Stabilisation
and Association Agreement (SAA) to become a bridge connecting it
with the second wave of EU enlargement.
Every south-eastern European country should become capable of
crossing that bridge based on its own abilities. This should not be
only the result of political decisions but must also be based on the
assessment of each country's individual progress, Mesic told the
forum.
He stressed that his country would also bring its own potentials
into the Union such as "a favourable maritime position and the
coastline suitable for the development of tourism".
"We are considering the possibility of proclaiming an economic zone
in the Adriatic Sea, and the decision on the matter will be made in
compliance with the new EU policy and international law," Mesic
said, adding that such a decision would be in the best interest of
the Union.
He reiterated that 2007 would be the year when Croatia could join
the EU, while it was realistic to expect the country to join the
European monetary union around 2010.
(hina) ms