HDZ DISMISSES FISCHER'S INITIATIVE ON WESTERN BALKAN ECONOMIC UNION

ZAGREB, Sept 10 (Hina) - The initiative of the German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on the establishment of a union of western Balkan countries is the old proposal on regional approach in a different guise and is completely unacceptable, which is why the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) will request that the government refuse it, party president Ivo Sanader told reporters on Monday. The proposal does not take into account political facts and is undemocratic because it imposes solutions, Sanader says, adding a consensus on Croatia's admission to the European Union on an individual basis has already been achieved. The HDZ is worried about the inability of the incumbent authorities to oppose such ideas because the HDZ warned about them a year ago, during the Zagreb Summit. Fischer's initiative is unacceptable also because it divides European countries outside the European Union into second and third class countries. Europe has no future if it is not based on equality, Sanader says. He expressed support for efforts to stabilise the region and establish a lasting peace and cooperation among the states, but stressed Croatia's path toward the EU did not run via the Balkans. The HDZ president accused the Croatian government of not protecting national interests, which, he says, can be seen from its policy toward the Hague war crimes tribunal, the unfavourable agreement on the state border with Slovenia, as well as from Fischer's proposal. The incumbent authorities face great political responsibility and are obliged to oppose the latest initiative, Sanader said, adding his party would make efforts and see that the proposal was not supported by popular, conservative and Christian Democrat parties in the EU. (hina) sb rml