FRANCE TO START PROCESS OF RATIFICATION OF SAA SOON

SALZBURG, Sept 16 (Hina) - During her talks with Croatia's President Stjepan Mesic in Salzburg on Monday, the French minister for European issues, Noelle Lenoir, said she would soon initiate a process for the French ratification of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), which Zagreb concluded with the European Union. #L# "Soon, I think in a few weeks, I will propose to my government to start the process of the SAA's ratification," the French minister told sources close to Croatia's delegation at the European Economic Summit in Salzburg. According to the same sources, Minister Lenoir expressed the readiness of her country to help Croatia solve some problems, including the latest problems with Slovenia. The French government and President Jacques Chirac know how big role Croatia and President Mesic are playing in the stabilisation of the region, the French minister Lenoir said. On Monday, Croatia's head of state held a meeting with the European commissioner for the European Union's expansion, Guenther Verheugen, who said that the EU would do everything to stimulate Croatia's bids to come closer to Europe. At the Mesic-Verheugen meeting, it was concluded that Croatia should not be put in the same group with Yugoslavia, Bosnia- Herzegovina, Macedonia and Albania in the context of discussions on its aspiration to be admitted into Europe, but that Croatia's niche is to be together with Slovenia, Slovakia and Hungary, the sources close to Mesic reported. Mesic informed his interlocutors of the achievements Zagreb had so far made in the adoption of European standards. Later in the evening the Croatian president will attend the first concert of the World Orchestra for Peace, and take part in dinner at which he and other guests will discuss the situation in south- eastern Europe. (hina) ms