CROATIAN MINISTER EXPECTS EU, NATO WILL KEEP DOORS OPEN FOR NEW MEMBERS

SKOPJE, Nov 15 (Hina) - The upcoming NATO and EU enlargement in Prague and Copenhagen will leave the door open for countries aspiring to join the two structures to do so in the second expansion round, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said in Skopje on Friday. He expected the countries of the Central European Initiative (CEI) not included in the current enlargement round would become the European Union's chief foreign policy priority. Addressing the final session of a CEI summit in the Macedonian capital, Picula said he expected the EU would give a new dimension to the stabilisation and association process and encourage the region's countries to continue with reforms, with EU membership their clear prospect. Speaking of next week's summit in Prague, when Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, as well as CEI's Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Romania will be asked to join NATO, the Croatian minister hoped a clear message would simultaneously be sent to the effect that NATO's doors remained open for aspirant countries wishing to join NATO in the second expansion wave. Picula yesterday indicated that Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia might step up cooperation to make up for the fact that they are the only Vilnius group countries excluded from the current expansion round. (hina) ha sb