LAST ROUND OF TALKS WITH EU TO BE HELD IN ZAGREB ON MAY 11

ZAGREB/BRUSSELS, May 4 (Hina) - The third and last official round of talks between Croatia and the European Union on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) will be held in Zagreb on May 11, Croatian diplomatic sources confirmed on Friday. Ambassadors of EU member-countries yesterday accepted a package of trade regulations, agreed during last week's technical negotiations between Croatia's negotiating team and the European Commission. The last round of talks will focus on the political preamble of the SAA. The Croatian side would like to see the preamble contain a clear formulation of the criterion on individual assessment of countries aspiring to join the EU and of a model of regional cooperation based on bilateral and not multilateral agreements. According to Croatia's chief negotiator with the EU, Neven Mimica, these provisions are already stated in the text of the SAA but Croatia wants to see them stated in the document's preamble as well. Although it is possible for any side to submit additional requests until the very end of negotiations, Croatian diplomatic sources say preparations for the initialling of the SAA on May 14 on the margins of a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers are underway. (hina) rml