BRUSSELS, Dec 9 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula called on the European Union in Brussels on Tuesday to support the new Croatian government in realising aspirations to join the EU.
BRUSSELS, Dec 9 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula
called on the European Union in Brussels on Tuesday to support the
new Croatian government in realising aspirations to join the EU.
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"I call on the attending countries, institutions and organisations
to support the new Croatian government in realising Croatia's
European ambitions, which we defined last year in a parliamentary
resolution," Picula said addressing foreign ministers from 25
current and future EU member-countries and three candidates.
Minister Picula is attending a ministerial meeting of the EU-
Western Balkans Forum, which was established at the EU summit in
Thessaloniki in June this year. The meeting is also attended by
European Commission President Romano Prodi and Foreign Affairs
Commissioner Chris Patten.
Picula welcomed the announcements of next year's EU chairs, Ireland
and the Netherlands, to keep up the dynamics of bilateral and
regional dialogue.
The Croatian minister said he was confident that the EC's opinion on
Croatia's membership application, which should be defined by the
end of March, would be an objective evaluation of Croatia's
achievements as well as of its ability and determination to enter a
new and more challenging phase of relations with the EU. He added
that Croatia was preparing answers to an additional 200 questions
posed by the EC.
Picula voiced hope that the EC's opinion ("avis") would provide the
member-countries with enough evidence of Croatia's progress and
make it possible for the European Council to decide to grant Croatia
the status of a candidate and start negotiations with it at a
meeting next June.
(hina) rml sb