ZAGREB, Jan 1 (Hina) - Following the parliamentary and presidential elections at the beginning of 2000 which put an and to the country's international isolation, Croatia took a first stride toward the international scenes, and its
bids to come closer to EuroAtlantic integration processes were awarded by allowing Zagreb to host a summit of heads of state or government of 15 EU member-states and five southeastern countries. The November 24 Summit was the first gathering of top statesmen of EU member-countries outside the European Union. However, the end of 2000 saw the worsening of the relations between Croatia and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The January 3 parliamentary ballot, at which six opposition parties defeated the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) that had ruled the country for 10 years, was viewed by the international community as free and
ZAGREB, Jan 1 (Hina) - Following the parliamentary and presidential
elections at the beginning of 2000 which put an and to the country's
international isolation, Croatia took a first stride toward the
international scenes, and its bids to come closer to EuroAtlantic
integration processes were awarded by allowing Zagreb to host a
summit of heads of state or government of 15 EU member-states and
five southeastern countries. The November 24 Summit was the first
gathering of top statesmen of EU member-countries outside the
European Union.
However, the end of 2000 saw the worsening of the relations between
Croatia and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia (ICTY).
The January 3 parliamentary ballot, at which six opposition parties
defeated the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) that had ruled the
country for 10 years, was viewed by the international community as
free and fair. In addition, international officials expressed
openly their satisfaction with the democratic change in
authorities and with the election of Stjepan Mesic as Croatia's new
President.
Mesic's inauguration ceremony on 18 February drew many top foreign
officials including 12 heads of state and three heads of
government.
The Zagreb Summit, which drew 25 delegations at the highest-ranking
level and which was the biggest ever political summit held in the
Croatian capital, was also the indicator of how much the
international community praised all what the six-party coalition
government and President Mesic had done in Croatia since they had
come in power.
After the November 24 Zagreb meeting, French President Jacques
Chirac, whose country then chairing the EU co-organised the event,
commended Croatian authorities for the splendid organisation of
the summit and high-quality hospitality.
At the summit, Croatia and European Commission signed the official
start of negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement
(SAA), and Croatian officials are expecting that the document will
be signed within six months.
In May 2000, Croatia was admitted into the Partnership for Peace
Programme and later in the year into the World Trade Organisation
(WTO). Last year, the country entered the trilateral group of
Italy, Slovenia and Hungary, which thus became a quadrilateral one.
Zagreb also made active contribution to the establishment of the
Adriatic-Ionian Initiative.
In 2000, the Council of Europe discontinued the monitoring process
over Croatia.
Croatia, together with other countries-successors to the former
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), resumed
negotiations on the succession after one-and-a-half-year break.
During 2000, the number of foreign senior officials on tour to
Zagreb considerably increased. Croatian top officials - President
Mesic, Premier Ivica Racan and Foreign Minister Tonino Picula - as
well as other representatives took part in many international
conferences or paid official visits to other capitals.
Two months prior to the Zagreb Summit, the Croatian capital hosted
another important political gathering. It was the September
meeting of heads of parliaments of Stability Pact for Southeastern
Europe member-countries.
However, at the end of 2000 Croatia was faced with new problems in
its ties with the Hague-based ICTY. The disagreement, which cropped
up when ICTY senior officials criticised Croatia before the UN
General Assembly and when the Tribunal forwarded the summons to
General Petar Stipetic (the Croatian armed forces chief of staff),
the contents of which were unclear for the Croatian party, can be
solved during the visit of ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte to
Zagreb, which is announced for this month.
Croatia's wishes for 2001 is to remove obstacles in the
relationship with the Tribunal, complete negotiations on the SAA
and lodge a formal application for its accession into the EU,
intensify cooperation with NATO in order to be soon admitted in that
alliance as well, and to continue developing good ties with its
neighbours. Zagreb also would like to take active part in the work
of the Council of Europe, the OSCE (Organisation for Security and
Cooperation in Europe) and of the United Nations.
(hina) ms