MILAN, June 23 (Hina) - Upon the end of the Central European Initiative (CEI) ministerial conference in Milan on Friday evening, Croatia's Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said the CEI was assuming increasingly great political
significance now when its membership was completed. The CEI is assuming greater political importance particularly after representatives of the European Union member countries, who were convened in Goeteborg, gave support to the enlargement of the EU. Some CEI member-countries are already in the EU, and a level of the cooperation between 17 CEI member-states will always be indicative in view of ambitions of other countries to enter this most powerful political and economic union on the Continent, Picula told a news agency, AR-news. Croatian minister said the cooperation within the CEI would reflect the maturity of CEI members for their admission into the EU. Ther
MILAN, June 23 (Hina) - Upon the end of the Central European
Initiative (CEI) ministerial conference in Milan on Friday
evening, Croatia's Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said the CEI was
assuming increasingly great political significance now when its
membership was completed.
The CEI is assuming greater political importance particularly
after representatives of the European Union member countries, who
were convened in Goeteborg, gave support to the enlargement of the
EU. Some CEI member-countries are already in the EU, and a level of
the cooperation between 17 CEI member-states will always be
indicative in view of ambitions of other countries to enter this
most powerful political and economic union on the Continent, Picula
told a news agency, AR-news.
Croatian minister said the cooperation within the CEI would reflect
the maturity of CEI members for their admission into the EU.
There are some controversial processes in the area of the CEI at the
moment, and thus CEI has a chance to react upon them and try help
countries faced with problems, Picula said.
Picula commented on the relations between Zagreb and the new
Italian authorities.
The support which the new Italian authorities are offering to us is
very important. This is evident in the fact that I was the first
foreign minister to hold talks with the new Italian Foreign
Minister, Renato Ruggiero. This is also an indicator that Italy
would like to continue cherishing good-neighbourly relations with
Croatia, Picula said and quoted Ruggiero as describing Croatia as
"one of regional safety pillars."
On the margins of the CEI ministerial conference Picula met foreign
ministers of Slovenia Dimitrij Rupel, of Austria Benita Ferrero-
Waldner, and of Macedonia Ilinka Mitreva.
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