BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3993

HINA Zagreb, May 14, 2001CROATIA, EU INITIAL STABILISATION, ASSOCIATION AGREEMENTBRUSSELS, May 14 (Hina) - Croatia and the European Union initialled a Stabilisation and Association Agreement in Brussels on Monday. The Agreement was initialled by Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and the European Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, Chris Patten, in the presence of EU foreign ministers or their deputies. The initialling of the Agreement formally wraps five months of negotiations. The signing, which will give Croatia the status of associate EU member and potential candidate for full-right membership, is expected in the autumn.CRO. GOVT. ISSUES STATEMENT ON INITIALLING OF SAA WITH EUBRUSSELS, May 14 (Hina) - On the occasion of the initialling of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union, the Croatian government on Monday issued a statement which was distributed at the EU Council of Ministers. In