VIENNA, Dec 6 (Hina) - "I expect Croatia to join NATO and the European Union by 2010 at the latest," the Croatian head of state, Stjepan Mesic, said in an interview with the Austrian daily "Kurier" of Friday.
VIENNA, Dec 6 (Hina) - "I expect Croatia to join NATO and the
European Union by 2010 at the latest," the Croatian head of state,
Stjepan Mesic, said in an interview with the Austrian daily
"Kurier" of Friday. #L#
In the interview, headlined "Croatia Won't Join Europe In a
Convoy", President Mesic said that the government would submit an
official request to join the EU in the first half of 2003.
He reiterated that the process of drawing closer to Euro-Atlantic
associations required the adoption of a constitutional law on the
protection of national minorities, ensuring the return of
refugees, implementing justice reforms, and continuing
cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia.
Asked if major protests of nationalists were possible in case some
indictees were extradited to the Hague-based war crimes tribunal,
Mesic answered in the negative.
"They are loud, but they do not play an important role in the
society, and all Croatian citizens must cooperate with the
tribunal," Mesic said.
The eminent business newspaper "Wirtschafts Blatt" on Friday ran an
article on yesterday's congress "Croatia on the Road to the
European Union", held in Vienna's Schoenbrunn castle, at which
Mesic spoke.
The paper quoted Croatian officials who spoke at the event and
stated that Mesic's speech was the culmination of the congress.
The paper, which assessed the congress as "a total success", also
commented on speeches by Croatian European Integration Minister
Neven Mimica and Public Works and Construction Minister Radimir
Cacic.
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