ZAGREB/LONDON, July 2 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula on Monday attended a meeting of the Vilnius Group foreign ministers held in Estonia's capital Tallin. According to Picula, the meeting of countries aspirants for
joining NATO discussed the preparations for a NATO summit to be held in Prague next year, at which some candidate countries should be admitted to NATO as a full members. On its path to NATO membership Croatia must work on amendments to the Constitution and add a regulation under which the country's armed forces could be used outside of Croatia in the case of attack on any NATO member country, Picula told Hina in a phone interview. Such a regulation is included in the constitutions of all NATO member countries. A year ago, nine countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Macedonia, Slovenia and Slovakia) signed a joint solidarity statement in Vilnius calling upon NATO to admit them. C
ZAGREB/LONDON, July 2 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino
Picula on Monday attended a meeting of the Vilnius Group foreign
ministers held in Estonia's capital Tallin.
According to Picula, the meeting of countries aspirants for joining
NATO discussed the preparations for a NATO summit to be held in
Prague next year, at which some candidate countries should be
admitted to NATO as a full members.
On its path to NATO membership Croatia must work on amendments to
the Constitution and add a regulation under which the country's
armed forces could be used outside of Croatia in the case of attack
on any NATO member country, Picula told Hina in a phone interview.
Such a regulation is included in the constitutions of all NATO
member countries.
A year ago, nine countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia,
Romania, Macedonia, Slovenia and Slovakia) signed a joint
solidarity statement in Vilnius calling upon NATO to admit them.
Croatia joined the so-called Vilnius 9 Group at a NATO meeting held
in Budapest in late May, even though it does not formally fulfil all
the conditions for joining the group because it is not Membership
Action Plan (MAP) member.
To join the MAP, Croatia must pass some crucial documents - a
defence law, national defence strategy and intelligence services
law. "I believe we could join the MAP by late this or early next
year," Picula said.
According to him, Croatia must increase the safety of its borders
and struggle against people smuggling, drug smuggling and other
forms of organised crime.
The Croatian Foreign Minister will be visiting Great Britain on
Wednesday and Thursday where he is to meet British counterpart Jack
Straw and Defence Minister Geoff Hoon.
"Great Britain is one of or significant partners. Over the last year
and a half Great Britain expressed understanding and support for
the reforms in Croatia, which was not the case before," Picula
said.
Apart from bilateral issues, the talks will also tackle the
situation in the region.
Croatian Deputy Finance Minister Damir Kustrak and president of the
Croatian Privatisation Fund Hrvoje Vojkovic will join Picula in
London.
(hina) it