ZAGREB, Oct 2 (Hina) - Slovakia can help Croatia in bids to join Euro-Atlantic integration processes with its experience, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said after meeting his Slovak counterpart Rudolf Schuster in Zagreb on
Thursday.
ZAGREB, Oct 2 (Hina) - Slovakia can help Croatia in bids to join
Euro-Atlantic integration processes with its experience, Croatian
President Stjepan Mesic said after meeting his Slovak counterpart
Rudolf Schuster in Zagreb on Thursday. #L#
"We have been told that Slovakia, which is a few steps ahead of us,
will support Croatia's efforts to join the European Union," the
Croatian head of state said.
Asked by a reporter what kind of concrete assistance Slovakia could
offer Croatia in the process, Mesic recalled that Slovakia had
lagged behind some other candidates for EU membership but managed
to reach them.
"Slovakia lagged behind other candidates to a considerable extent,
but has caught up with them. It can help us in our efforts to speed up
the process," Mesic said.
He explained that apart from some essential issues such as freedom
of the media, reforms in the army and police, civil and human
rights, Croatia should also tackle some other specific issues such
as cooperation with the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal, the
return of refugees and the restitution of property.
"I think Croatia could make up for delays in the process of drawing
closer to the EU and enter the Union in 2007 together with Romania
and Bulgaria," Slovak President Schuster said.
He and his host also discussed bilateral economic cooperation.
"We would like to intensify economic and multilateral cooperation,
particularly in the region, because it offers great possibilities
for the economies of Slovakia and Croatia," Mesic said calling on
the Slovaks to be more engaged in Croatia.
"We want to develop concrete economic cooperation between serious
partners, not only in tourism but in other fields as well," the
Slovak head of state added.
According to him, trade between Slovakia and Croatia totals
USD110.5 million, with Slovak exports accounting for a higher
share.
President Mesic said he and Schuster also talked about military
cooperation, as Croatia was an aspirant for membership in NATO.
The two presidents discussed the global fight against terrorism.
Croatia, Mesic said, will take part in all UN-led peace
operations.
(hina) ms