BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3995

HR-BULLETINS-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3995 BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 3995HINA Zagreb 16 May 2001PM RACAN CALLS ON NATO TO CONSIDER CROATIA'S JOINING MAPBRUSSELS, May 16 (Hina) - In his speech before the NATO Permanent Council in Brussels on Wednesday, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan called on NATO to consider Croatia's participation in the Membership Action Plan (MAP). The MAP is a NATO programme for potential candidates which envisages the adjustment of standards and criteria with NATO member countries in politics, the economy, judiciary, security, and the military. "When created, the MAP did not make any special demands for joining for the first nine countries which aspired to NATO membership. They were admitted based on their common aspiration to join NATO. Croatia shares the same aspiration," Racan said before the NATO Permanent Council. Speaking of Croatia-NATO cooperation so far, he expressed satisfaction with the first 12 months of the formal part