ZAGREB, Sept 20 (Hina) - The implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union is satisfactory, there is no lateness, and the government intends to become ready for Croatia's admission to the
EU by 2006, participants in a Zagreb conference said on Friday.
ZAGREB, Sept 20 (Hina) - The implementation of the Stabilisation
and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union is
satisfactory, there is no lateness, and the government intends to
become ready for Croatia's admission to the EU by 2006,
participants in a Zagreb conference said on Friday. #L#
The conference on the SAA's effect on Croatia's economy was
organised by the European Integration Ministry and the Zagreb
Fair's management.
The event has pooled representatives of the ministries of foreign
affairs, European integration, economy, agriculture, and finance,
the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, and the tax and customs
administrations. Addresses will be made by experts from Hungary,
the Czech Republic, Austria, Ukraine, Macedonia, Slovakia,
Bulgaria, Poland, Italy, Bosnia, and Slovakia.
Opening the conference, Assistant European Integration Minister
Marija Pajcinovic-Buric and Zagreb Fair director Davorin Spevec
said the aim of the event was to get acquainted with the content,
rights and obligations of the SAA, with an accent on its economic
aspects.
The main tasks Croatia has to do to become eligible for admission to
the EU are the full respect of human and minority rights, the return
of displaced persons and property, a reform in the judiciary, the
bolstering of the role of independent media with emphasis on state
television, the continued cooperation with the UN war crimes
tribunal, the strengthening of cooperation with neighbours, and
implement the SAA, said Branko Grgic, head of the Foreign
Ministry's department for European integration.
According to Spomenka Rakusic, a senior adviser at the Economy
Ministry, US$6.6 billion has been directly invested in Croatia
since 1993, which she said was not entirely satisfactory. The
government is intensively working on the removal of all obstacles
and amending legislation hampering foreign investments, she said.
A high deficit characterises Croatia-EU agricultural trade. In the
last three years, the average import was US$337 million and was 4.5
times higher than the average import. Only in wine exports did
Croatia strike a positive balance with EU countries, Assistant
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Miroslav Bozic said.
(hina) ha sb