ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - Upon his return from Brussels, where he submitted Croatia's answers to the European Commission questionnaire, Prime Minister Ivica Racan has said that he expects the EC to adopt a positive opinion about
Croatia's EU membership application in spring next year.
ZAGREB, Oct 9 (Hina) - Upon his return from Brussels, where he
submitted Croatia's answers to the European Commission
questionnaire, Prime Minister Ivica Racan has said that he expects
the EC to adopt a positive opinion about Croatia's EU membership
application in spring next year. #L#
"After today's visit to Brussels, I can say that I am optimistic
about Croatia's application being evaluated positively in March or
April next year," Racan said in an interview on Croatian Television
on Thursday evening.
By submitting its answers to the EC questionnaire, Croatia has made
it halfway to Brussels, Racan said.
A positive opinion about the candidacy will be followed by
negotiations on membership, which Racan expects to be completed
during 2007.
"The road to Brussels is defined to a large extent. It only remains
to achieve the required pace and avoid risking stoppage, and not set
new obstacles by making omissions and mistakes," he said.
Racan said he expected all EU member-countries, including Great
Britain, to ratify Croatia's Stabilisation and Association
Agreement before the expansion of the EU to ten new members in May
next year. He said that during his recent visit to London he had
clarified Croatia's positions and arguments regarding cooperation
with the UN war crimes tribunal and therefore expected relations
with London to be "less tough" in the coming period.
Speaking about runaway general Ante Gotovina, Racan said there were
only two options - Gotovina could either surrender of his own accord
to the tribunal and defend himself in The Hague, or be arrested.
Racan expects that the annual report of the tribunal's chief
prosecutor Carla Del Ponte to the UN on Croatia's cooperation with
the tribunal will be "measured", as would the position of
Brussels.
"I expect a measured position (...) about there being an open
problem which burdens (our) relations, but I do not expect that
Croatia will be singled out as the only side which is responsible
for that problem," he said.
"It is important for Croatia to fully cooperate with the Hague
tribunal, and not be criticised or even punished for something it
should have done, but was unable to do," Racan said.
Speaking about the proclamation of a fishing and ecological zone in
the Adriatic, Racan said that he had advocated such a solution which
would not push the country into a conflict with Europe and stop it on
its way to the EU.
This topic was also discussed in Brussels. "We will have to face
some criticism for our decision, but it would be much stronger had
we decided to declare an exclusive economic zone," he said.
The decision is not the first such decision adopted in the
Mediterranean and Croatia will be able to defend it, Racan said.
(hina) rml