ZAGREB, Nov 13 (Hina) - The European Commission fully supports Croatia's aspirations to join the European Union, EU Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said during a day-long visit to Zagreb on Thursday after meeting Prime
Minister Ivica Racan.
ZAGREB, Nov 13 (Hina) - The European Commission fully supports
Croatia's aspirations to join the European Union, EU Enlargement
Commissioner Guenter Verheugen said during a day-long visit to
Zagreb on Thursday after meeting Prime Minister Ivica Racan. #L#
"The purpose of my visit is very simple. The European Commission
wants to demonstrate before the elections in Croatia how important
the European vocation of Croatia is for the European Commission,"
Verheugen said at a joint press conference with Racan.
"The European Commission wants to demonstrate that it fully
supports the ambitious strategy of (Croatia) to become a full
member of the European Union with equal rights and equal
obligations as soon as possible," he added.
The EU commissioner said Croatia had made "considerable and
impressive progress" in the past four years, both economically and
politically, adding that the country was now "a respected member of
the family of democratic nations of Europe."
"(Croatia) will be judged based on its merits. There will be no new
conditions and no new criteria," Verheugen said.
If the opinion of the European Commission is positive, "my
recommendation will be to open (membership) negotiations with
Croatia without delay," he added.
Racan said that EU entry was Croatia's strategic goal and that it
was supported by an overwhelming majority of citizens and all
parliamentary parties.
"The Croatian government is implementing a very precisely defined
programme of tasks for EU membership, which it intends to complete
by the end of 2006," the prime minister said, adding that it was also
prepared to fulfil all of its commitments.
Speaking of the forthcoming elections in Croatia, Verheugen said
they were of utmost importance because they represented "a key
step" in Croatia's efforts to demonstrate its credibility.
The European Commission will cooperate with any democratically
elected government in Croatia that will share European values and
meet its international commitments, including full cooperation
with the Hague war crimes tribunal, the EU commissioner said.
Verheugen said that the next government was facing a historic task
of starting and completing EU membership negotiations.
Asked if the EU had a united stance on the date of Croatia's entry
and its cooperation with the Hague tribunal, Verheugen said that a
unified position was not necessary for now and that it would be
presented when the European Commission prepared its opinion.
After the talks with Racan, Verheugen attended the open part of a
government session that discussed Croatia's efforts to join the EU.
The session was opened by Foreign Minister Tonino Picula, who spoke
of the progress Croatia had made in the last four years on its path
to EU membership.
Later on, the EU commissioner met President Stjepan Mesic.
(hina) vm sb