BY 2006 CROATIA WILL BE READY TO JOIN EU -- MINISTER

POREC, Oct 18 (Hina) - "By the end of 2006, Croatia will be ready to enter the European Union, and the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) is a condition for accession which we can expect in the second wave of EU's expansion, between 2008 and 2010," Croatian Minister for European Integration, Neven Mimica, said in Porec on Friday. #L# During a meeting with an Istria County delegation lead by Prefect Ivan Jakovcic, Mimica said that a year since the signing of the SAA, Croatia already did half the tasks it should in four years, a time envisaged by the agreement for the realisation of its committments, so that in 2006 it can be given the status as associate member of the European Union. The minister commended the projects of border cooperation between Istria County and Slovenia, saying that entry into the European Union also depended on concrete projects by Croatian counties. He stressed that Istria blazed the trail in such projects. Jakovcic said "Istria will give its contribution to a faster drawing closer to the European Union by developing the economy, protecting minorities and developing science by opening a university in Pula, protecting the environment and social rights". Minister Mimica also commented on relations with the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal which "do not exempt us from our obligations and tasks in implementing the SAA". "Croatia has lodged two appeals to the content of the indictment against General Janko Bobetko, which is in line with the procedure. Until the tribunal passes a judgement, pressure on Croatia is unfounded, particularly because the Croatian government has promised to respect the tribunal's decisions on the appeals," Mimica stressed. (hina) lml