PM RACAN SAYS MAJORITY SUPPORTS CROATIA'S ACCESS TO EU

ZAGREB, Feb 15 (Hina) - The huge majority of Croatia's population wants to live better and safer and therefore supports access to the European Union (EU), which is Croatia's strategic goal, the prime minister told a government session on Thursday.#L# The government adopted a report on the course of negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. Commenting on the noise protesting war veterans were making outside the government building, Prime Minister Ivica Racan said access to the EU was something the huge majority of the population wanted and he was certain that those who were working on distancing Croatia from Europe could not succeed. Racan conceded the noise was strong but said he was sure that neither the government, nor Croatia's democratic institutions and the majority of the population would be hampered in working for the benefit of Croatia's long-term objectives. The veterans are protesting the issuing of an arrest warrant for Mirko Norac, a suspect in war crimes committed against civilians in 1991. Besides the report on the SAA negotiations, the government adopted some 20 conclusions in connection with SAA implementation and preparations for achieving the strategic goal of joining the EU by the end of 2006. (hina) ha sb