ZAGREB, Sept 11 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan announced on Wednesday following a meeting with the ruling coalition that more than probably he would not travel to Saturday's meeting of the Central European Free Trade
Agreement in Bratislava.
ZAGREB, Sept 11 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan
announced on Wednesday following a meeting with the ruling
coalition that more than probably he would not travel to Saturday's
meeting of the Central European Free Trade Agreement in Bratislava.
#L#
There was a chance that Croatia would be accepted to the CEFTA as
early as Saturday, however, it appears that the premiers of some
countries have requested that formal procedures need to be adhered
to for Croatia's reception into that organisation and so this will
not be possible in Bratislava, Racan stated.
He said that it was possible that an extraordinary meeting be held
in Zagreb when prime ministers or authorised government
representatives would be authorised to give a formal signature..
Prime Minister Racan expressed belief that special barriers would
be removed by Saturday preventing the signing of a Free Trade
Agreement with Rumania and Croatia's reception into the CEFTA.
Racan informed the heads of the ruling coalition about the
extraordinary meeting and the results of Tuesday's agreement with
Slovenia's Premier Janez Drnovsek.
The president of the Croatian parliament and the head of the
Croatian Peasants' Party, Zlatko Tomcic, told journalists,
however, that the agreement between the two premiers was achieved
within the framework that was discussed before their meeting.
Tomcic believes that now there is no need that the topic on
relations with Slovenia be included into the parliamentary
procedure.
There have been no such demands except for one submitted by the
Croatian Democratic Union party bench that, due to relations with
Slovenia, a discussion be held on a vote of confidence in Premier
Racan, Tomcic said.
Even though it was expected that the heads of the ruling coalition
would discuss personnel changes in empty portfolios, institutes
and funds, that topic did not make its way to the agenda and will
wait for their regular meeting on Monday.
Unofficial speculation indicates that a solution could be found for
deputy ministers in the Economy and Foreign Affairs ministries.
(hina) sp it