ZAGREB: INT. CONFERENCE ON EU ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT BEGINS

ZAGREB, April 18 (Hina) - Croatia is satisfied with the latest European Commission (EC) report and now has to give definite form to its integration into Europe, European Integration Minister Neven Mimica said in Zagreb on Thursday. #L# Mimica spoke at the opening of an international conference called "Stabilisation and Association Agreement - From Cooperation to Joining". The first annual EC report on countries participating in the Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) appropriately assesses the current situation in Croatia, the minister said. He added the government was satisfied the report clearly stated that an "individual approach will be respected and followed" in rapprochement with the European Union (EU). This, he said, eliminates doubts regarding a regional future for the SAP states. Croatia is aware of the tasks and huge efforts awaiting it in the reaching of European standards, Mimica said, but added that the EU too must clearly define the right way of connecting the SAP in South Eastern Europe and the EU expansion process. "Croatia expects the Stabilisation and Association Agreements will become the bridge connecting the association process and the EU expansion process," said Mimica. Croatia's priority and goal is to prove that "we have sufficient capabilities to join other candidate-states which will become EU members in the second expansion round," he added. Satisfied the EC report was well-received in Croatia, the chief of the EC delegation, Jacques Wunenburger, said the EC and the Croatian European Integration Ministry shared a common goal - Croatia's admission to the EU. The director of the EC's general management for foreign affairs, Reihard Priebe, said Croatia had a long way to go to join the EU. The EC will help Croatia on that path, he said, adding that everybody must participate in the realisation of that goal. )hina) ha