PARLIAMENT'S DISCUSSION ON SAA ENDS THURSDAY AFTER MIDNIGHT

ZAGREB, Oct 25 (Hina) -A nine-hour long parliament's discussion on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) which started on Wednesday afternoon ended at 1AM Thursday with a final word of the European Integration Minister Neven Mimica. Mimica dismissed claims by the Opposition that the agreement is an introduction into regional Balkan ties. The discussion on the SAA, which is should be signed by Prime Minister Ivica Racan in Brussels on Monday, started with a report by Minister Mimica and was continued with a request of the Opposition's Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) that the signing of the SAA be postponed until the entire Croatian public was informed about all the aspects of the agreement. The Opposition believes the agreement is indeed an introduction into regional Balkan ties, while representatives of the ruling coalition see this first institutionalised framework with the EU as Croatia's only path to Europe. The Democratic Centre (DC) and the Istrian Democratic Assembly (IDS) said they would also vote for the agreement. Due to a lack of a quorum, the Croatian parliament did not vote on the SAA, and the voting will be held at the beginning of Thursday's session, deputy speaker Mato Arlovic said. (hina) it