SPLIT, March 27 (Hina) - Head of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Southeast Europe, Doris Pack, expressed satisfaction in Split on Tuesday with the speed Croatia is drawing closer to the European Union. She also
voiced dissatisfaction with the position of Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In the past year a lot has changed in Croatia, and the most important is that the new government has severed strong ties with Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Pack told a news conference after a two-day working meeting between Croatian and European parliamentarians in Split. Today we see a new Croatia in which the return of refugees is no longer a political issue, but exclusively economic, with which the international community must assist with capital and projects, Pack said. She added these are important issues which have contributed to the signing of the final Agreement on Stabilisation
SPLIT, March 27 (Hina) - Head of the European Parliament delegation
for relations with Southeast Europe, Doris Pack, expressed
satisfaction in Split on Tuesday with the speed Croatia is drawing
closer to the European Union. She also voiced dissatisfaction with
the position of Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In the past year a lot has changed in Croatia, and the most important
is that the new government has severed strong ties with Croats in
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Pack told a news conference after a two-day
working meeting between Croatian and European parliamentarians in
Split.
Today we see a new Croatia in which the return of refugees is no
longer a political issue, but exclusively economic, with which the
international community must assist with capital and projects,
Pack said.
She added these are important issues which have contributed to the
signing of the final Agreement on Stabilisation and Association
with the EU, expected for the end of the year.
Pack stressed she personally was not satisfied with the current
position of Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina, stressing she held that
they felt endangered now that Bosniaks will also be voting for Croat
representatives in the country.
Dayton principles are the law by which everyone must abide, but it
is not the Bible, and should be changed where it is unsatisfactory
if needed, she stressed.
Chairman of the Parliament's committee for European associations,
Ivo Skrabalo, expressed satisfaction with relations with the
European Parliament, stressing that the relations between Croatia
and the European Union have "progressed by miles".
The annual meeting of Croatian and European parliamentarians, now
the ninth in a row, ended in Split with a joint statement containing
fifty items.
The joint statement, among else, says the parliamentarians
expected a law to be passed on local self-government so that all
international standards are met during the upcoming local
elections in Croatia.
Regarding Croatia's relations with the international war crimes
tribunal in The Hague, the statement underlines the importance of
objective court proceedings which are based on individual
responsibility, not only on the responsibility of command
structures.
The proclamation of a Croat self-rule in Bosnia-Herzegovina was
dismissed by the parliamentarians, but they did express readiness
to contribute to defusing of tensions in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
(hina) lml sb