ZAGREB, Nov 21 (Hina) - Premiers and senior officials of 17 member-countries of Central European Initiative (CEI), who convened in Warsaw for a two day meeting, on Friday discussed the situation in the region as well as the current
and future role of the CEI in the light of European Union's enlargement.
ZAGREB, Nov 21 (Hina) - Premiers and senior officials of 17 member-
countries of Central European Initiative (CEI), who convened in
Warsaw for a two day meeting, on Friday discussed the situation in
the region as well as the current and future role of the CEI in the
light of European Union's enlargement. #L#
According to an official press release issued in Zagreb, Croatian
Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic spoke about progress his
country had so far made in a bid to enter the EU.
Simonovic expects that the European Commission could announce its
opinion on Croatia's membership application next spring and that
negotiations between Zagreb and the EU on Croatia's entry could
start in late 2004.
According to the final document adopted by the CEI meeting in
Warsaw, the CEI positively assessed the conclusions of the
Thessaloniki meeting between EU and western Balkan officials, held
in June 2003.
It also supported prospects of the countries covered by the
Stabilisation and Association process (SAp), of entering the EU.
Participants in the Warsaw event expressed solidarity with Turkey
and Great Britain after recent terrorist attacks in Istanbul.
The conference pooled premiers of senior officials of Croatia,
Poland, Hungary, Albania, Ukraine, Moldavia, Macedonia, the Czech
Republic, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Belarus, Bulgaria and
Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy and Austria.
(hina) ms sb