WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic held talks in Washington on Thursday with U.S. Ambassador for War Crimes Issues Pierre-Richard Prosper about Croatia's cooperation with the Hague tribunal,
and with Senator John McCain about Croatia's road to NATO.
WASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan
Simonovic held talks in Washington on Thursday with U.S. Ambassador
for War Crimes Issues Pierre-Richard Prosper about Croatia's
cooperation with the Hague tribunal, and with Senator John McCain
about Croatia's road to NATO. #L#
Simonovic met with Prosper at the former's request and told Hina
afterwards the crux of the talks was that "the United States wants
Croatia in the European Union and NATO as soon as possible because
that strengthens the stability of the region".
Croatia and the U.S. feel it is important that criticism about
Croatia's cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal should not
pose an obstacle to Croatia's admission to the EU and NATO as this is
in both countries' interest, said Simonovic.
He added the talks with Prosper did not address concrete aspects of
Croatia's cooperation with the Hague tribunal but cooperation in
general.
Simonovic said Prosper did not make any threats or mention
sanctions.
Also on Thursday Simonovic, Albania's Acting Foreign Minister Luan
Hajdaraga, and Macedonia's Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva held
talks with John McCain, an influential Republican senator from
Arizona who played an important part in the latest NATO enlargement
wave.
According to Simonovic, McCain said NATO enlargement would not stop
after seven of the 10 Vilnius Group countries were admitted and that
he would personally advocate further expansion.
Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia, the three Vilnius countries left
out, have signed the U.S.-Adriatic Charter which envisages their
cooperation on the road to the alliance.
(hina) ha