ZAGREB, March 12 (Hina) - The negotiations process on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) is only a short-term task for Croatia, while its implementation will be lengthy, Croatian President Stipe Mesic said in Zagreb on
Monday. The President gave a speech at a forum called "The Republic of Croatia and European Integration", held at Zagreb's Faculty of Law. Also speaking at the forum were Croatian Minister for European Integration Ivan Jakovcic and assistant Foreign Minister Vladimir Matek. The topic dominating Croatia's foreign policy is exactly the European integration process, Mesic said adding the participation in a united Europe was the only future for Croatia. Two rounds of negotiations on the SAA have been held, we are still to conduct the third one and the agreement is expected to be initialled maybe already in May, by which Croatia would become a potential candi
ZAGREB, March 12 (Hina) - The negotiations process on the
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) is only a short-term
task for Croatia, while its implementation will be lengthy,
Croatian President Stipe Mesic said in Zagreb on Monday.
The President gave a speech at a forum called "The Republic of
Croatia and European Integration", held at Zagreb's Faculty of Law.
Also speaking at the forum were Croatian Minister for European
Integration Ivan Jakovcic and assistant Foreign Minister Vladimir
Matek.
The topic dominating Croatia's foreign policy is exactly the
European integration process, Mesic said adding the participation
in a united Europe was the only future for Croatia.
Two rounds of negotiations on the SAA have been held, we are still to
conduct the third one and the agreement is expected to be initialled
maybe already in May, by which Croatia would become a potential
candidate for full membership in the European Union.
"The current negotiations, however, have a short term character,
but the implementation process will be long and difficult" and we
are ahead of the painstaking job of adjusting laws to the European
Union standards, Mesic said.
The President also spoke of the need for regional cooperation as a
precondition for approaching Europe, with a clear regional
approach Croatia managed to obtain. The cooperation will
contribute to the stability of the entire region, including
Croatia, the President said.
Minister Jakovcic spoke about the need for a reform, stressing it
was necessary for Croatia to be not only economically and
politically stable country, but also institutionally capable of
joining the European Union. The minister expressed optimism adding
that Croatia's legislation was formally closer to the European
standards than many other countries in transition.
Commenting on a possibility that foreigners buy real estate in
Croatia, Jakovcic said Croatia would demand a transitional period
before the complete liberalisation of the real estate market for
foreigners.
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