ZAGREB, Dec 6 (Hina) - Croatia will apply for European Union membership candidate status next February or March, Prime Minister Ivica Racan said in an interview with Saturday's Vecernji list daily, adding he would urge all
parliamentary parties to reach a consensus on a national programme for Croatia's association with the EU.
ZAGREB, Dec 6 (Hina) - Croatia will apply for European Union
membership candidate status next February or March, Prime Minister
Ivica Racan said in an interview with Saturday's Vecernji list
daily, adding he would urge all parliamentary parties to reach a
consensus on a national programme for Croatia's association with
the EU. #L#
In this respect Racan welcomed a proposal made by the president of
the Croatian Democratic Union party, Ivo Sanader, to adopt a non-
party resolution on Croatia's drawing closer to the EU on condition
that the proposal is real and not mere lip service.
Racan said the decision on the exact date when Croatia would apply
for EU membership candidate status would be known in about ten days.
He estimated another five years of hard work would be necessary to
adopt EU standards, but was "deeply confident we can do it".
Racan said it was in Europe's interest in not passing over Croatia
because of its geostrategic position.
"Unlike the previous government, we are stressing Croatia's
position as a link between the Mediterranean, Central and Balkan
Europe. To make this geostrategic position valuable, Croatia has to
cooperate with its neighbours and with all regions. This will
convince Europe that it needs Croatia," said the PM.
He added he was not familiar with an initiative by the president of
Macedonia according to which Croatia should lobby the EU together
with Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia, and Yugoslavia, but said he could
not support it.
"Given that Romania and Bulgaria are in the first group of countries
for the next EU expansion round, we want to be in that company. Which
other country will join us in that bid, it is a question for that
country and not of group admission. We can support each other but
not so as to make that cooperation and joint lobbying hinder us and
reduce us to the regional approach that we object to. I read in the
papers that the (Croatian) president said the government cannot be
against something it didn't participate in. I shall only say I hope
the idea was not like it was presented in the media," said Racan.
In the extensive interview Racan reiterated the government's
willingness to cooperate with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The
Hague. The portion of the public which is inclined towards
cooperation with the tribunal is bigger than before, he said,
adding this was the "result of the arduous path we passed with the
'Bobetko case' in the last two months".
(hina) ha sb