FIRST ROUND OF TECHNICAL NEGOTIATIONS WITH EU BEGINS

BRUSSELS, Jan 25 (Hina) - The first round of technical negotiations between Croatia and the European Union on the Agreement on Stabilisation and Association began in Brussels Thursday morning. Croatia's chief negotiator Neven Mimica, who is heading a 19-member team, said ahead of the meeting the negotiations would for the most part focus on the liberalisation of the market for import of European industrial and agricultural products into Croatia. The meeting will also focus on the possibilities of founding companies in Croatia and the EU and the free movement of capital, services and people. Three plenary negotiation cycles are envisaged to take place during the entire negotiations. The negotiations are attended by the Croatian delegation and representatives of the European Commission and EU member states. In the midst of the plenary negotiating rounds so-called technical negotiations are taking place with only the Croatian delegation and European Commission representatives taking part. "This is a very important phase as it represents the possibility of clearing up several open issues, so the technical negotiations have been planned to assist mutual understanding of the text of the agreement and pursuant commitments," Mimica said. The second plenary round of negotiations is scheduled for the end of next month. (hina) lml