EU'S PATTEN SAYS CROATIA MUST FULLY IMPLEMENT SAA

COPENHAGEN, Dec 13 (Hina) - The European Union's foreign affairs commissioner, Chris Patten, in Copenhagen on Friday invited Croatia and other countries in Southeast Europe to consistently implement the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) which will pave the way to the EU membership candidate status. #L# The message to Croatia and other countries in Southeast Europe is that the first thing to be done is to implement the SAA and then, as was the case with the current candidates, they can be considered as potential candidates for membership to the Union, Patten said at a press conference responding to questions about Croatia's real chances to join Bulgaria and Rumania in the second round of EU expansion in 2007. Patten held the press conference together with Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller and the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security, Javier Solana, after a meeting of EU foreign ministers during a two-day summit in Copenhagen. Patten added that during the Greek presidency of the EU in the first half of next year, the EU would try to give a political boost to the Stabilisation and Association Process. The progress to be made by countries in the region in their European integration bids does not depend on the EU but on the countries themselves, Patten said, adding that it was not enough to proclaim intentions but that they had to be implemented. Denmark's Foreign Minister Moeller said Croatia would become a member of the EU but that at the moment he could not say when. Croatia as a part of central Europe is a possible member of the EU, he said. There is Slovenia and one day there will be Croatia, but at the moment it is not possible to say when, Moeller said at the press conference. (hina) sp/ha sb