ZAGREB, June 12 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic and special EU coordinator for the Stability Pact for South East Europe Bodo Hombach held talks today about the return and care for refugees and regional cooperation. The very
direct and open talks focused on the return and care for refugees, the course of current projects, the Adriatic-Ionic highway and regional cooperation, Hombach told reporters after the meeting. Today we spoke about an exceptionally important political issue. A misunderstanding has occurred in Croatia because regional cooperation was taken as placing everybody in the same boat, Hombach said. Nobody, however, wants to take into consideration the particular progress Croatia has achieved, he added. Hombach explained the European Union and NATO are large association communities, and good cooperation with neighbouring countries is very important. Regional cooperation
ZAGREB, June 12 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic and special
EU coordinator for the Stability Pact for South East Europe Bodo
Hombach held talks today about the return and care for refugees and
regional cooperation.
The very direct and open talks focused on the return and care for
refugees, the course of current projects, the Adriatic-Ionic
highway and regional cooperation, Hombach told reporters after the
meeting.
Today we spoke about an exceptionally important political issue. A
misunderstanding has occurred in Croatia because regional
cooperation was taken as placing everybody in the same boat,
Hombach said. Nobody, however, wants to take into consideration the
particular progress Croatia has achieved, he added.
Hombach explained the European Union and NATO are large association
communities, and good cooperation with neighbouring countries is
very important.
Regional cooperation is the main and essential issue for
integration into Europe, Hombach stressed.
Croatia could act as a stabiliser and partner to Europe, and can
give a good example and advice to neighbouring countries.
Croatia may come into a dialect situation where it seeks support
from the European community for its own democracy on the one hand,
and on the other, act as an avant-garde of Europe and make sure peace
and stability reign in this region, the EU official explained.
He said there is no competition in joining Europe, stressing of all
regattas, the best is the good neighbourly one.
Hombach visited Paris yesterday where he held talks about a number
of bilateral issues with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, which
would finally make it possible for solving the refugee return
issue.
Out of the 244 projects within the Stability Pact, 201 are being
realised, Hombach said, adding a feasibility study has been drawn
up for the Adriatic-Ionic highway. A financial structure must exist
to include capital and guarantors he said.
(hina) lml sb