ZAGREB, Jan 9 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula has described 2000 as a year in which his country achieved "good speed" in the race of accomplishing its objectives - the accession into the European Union and NATO.
Delivering his speech on Monday before students of a two-month course at the Diplomatic Academy in Zagreb, Picula said much had been done in the foreign policy in the last year, and in this context he pointed to the significance of the Zagreb Summit which, according to him, turned into 'Zagreb process' of stablisation and improvement of relations between the countries in the region. The minister said Croatia had, perhaps, expected too much from the international community in view of its award to Zagreb for the internal political changes. This has not happened, Picula said reiterating that the foreign policy achieved much, nevertheless. Croatia has commenced negotiations with the
ZAGREB, Jan 9 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula has
described 2000 as a year in which his country achieved "good speed"
in the race of accomplishing its objectives - the accession into the
European Union and NATO.
Delivering his speech on Monday before students of a two-month
course at the Diplomatic Academy in Zagreb, Picula said much had
been done in the foreign policy in the last year, and in this context
he pointed to the significance of the Zagreb Summit which,
according to him, turned into 'Zagreb process' of stablisation and
improvement of relations between the countries in the region.
The minister said Croatia had, perhaps, expected too much from the
international community in view of its award to Zagreb for the
internal political changes. This has not happened, Picula said
reiterating that the foreign policy achieved much, nevertheless.
Croatia has commenced negotiations with the European Union on a
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), which should be
completed until the mid-2001, while the minister expressed hope
that Zagreb would receive, together with the conclusion of the SAA
talks, the Membership Action Plan (MAP), a next step in the process
of obtaining the full memebrship in NATO.
Commenting on the relations with neighbouring countries, Picula
said Croatia enhanced its ties with Bosnia-Herzegovina, although
many initiatives remained halfway.
As regards the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), it remains to
be seen whether political changes will mean a change in
(Belgrade's) policy. However, it is a bad fact that Slobodan
Milosevic has been removed only from the office of the Yugoslav
President, but he is still present in the political life, Picula
said.
The minister supposes that the new Yugoslav authorities will opt
for some changes in the current stands for only pragamtic reasons.
In Picula's opinion, this can been seen from the changed position of
the Yugoslav negotiation team for the issues of the succesion to the
former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) and from
Belgrade's announcement for resuming soon negotiations with Zagreb
on the issue of Prevlaka, without reiterating its stand that this is
the territorial issue.
According to Picula, the negotiations on this matter should resume
in one month, and he expects positive developments.
For Montenegro, there is no problem about Prevlaka, and the
relations between Podgorica and Zagreb are so correct that Croatian
government officials are lobbying the international community not
to leave the Montenergrin leadership, which, Picula reminded,
contributed to the democratisation of the Yugoslav federation and
its major republic - Serbia.
Regarding the ties with Slovenia, the open issue about the Bay of
Piran hampers the progress in other issues, Picula said adding that
he would propose a new negotiating platform to the Croatian
government, under which problems in the bilaterla ties with
Slovenia would not be solved in a package, but attempts of Zagreb
and Ljubljana shouls start from less problematic issues.
Asked about the current state of affairs in the relationship
between Zagreb and the ICTY (the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia), Picula confirmed that ICTY Chief
Prosecutor Carla del Ponte would arrive in Zagreb on 15 January, and
viewed her tour, the purpose of which is to "resolve disagreements"
as one of the most important in this year.
"The ICTY in the Hague has great powers, and the Tribunal itself is
not subject to stronger correctives," it issues indictments and
declares final judgements, whereas the possibilities of an
indictee to change the verdict are limited, Picula stressed adding
that he hoped that during the talks in Zagreb, del Ponte would show
understanding for some Croatian arguments.
"At the very moment Croatia receives assurances that the
fundamental interest of the Hague Tribunal is only in processing
war crimes perpetrators or those who ordered crimes, we shall no
longer have problems with that court," he said.
The incumbent Croatian government maintians that too broad
asssessment and too broad bids to tackle the problems would be
detrimental, and Zagreb will in future insist on focusing on the
unsettled problems rathern than heightening tensions.
It is out of question that Milosevic may be tried in Belgrade, as
such trial will be a horrible blow to justice and fairness, the
Croatian official said adding that he did not know what prompted the
incumbent US Secretary of States, Madeleine Albright, to allow such
a possibility.
(hina) sb ms