LUXEMBOURG, Oct 30 (Hina) - Croatian European Integration Minister Neven Mimica and Foreign Minister Tonino Picula on Tuesday informed the European Troika about the political and economic situation in Croatia, the situation in the
region and plans for the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement signed yesterday between Croatia and the European Union. Following the first formal meeting with Belgian Minister Annemie Neiyts, Spain's state secretary for European affairs Ramon de Miguel, EU high representative for foreign and security policy Javier Solana, and David Daly of the European Commission in charge of Croatia, Picula told a news conference the European representatives were interested in how much the Croatian government was stable, how much effort was being exerted in the revival of the economy, and in which way the dialogue between the two sides could be led. The political cooperatio
LUXEMBOURG, Oct 30 (Hina) - Croatian European Integration Minister
Neven Mimica and Foreign Minister Tonino Picula on Tuesday informed
the European Troika about the political and economic situation in
Croatia, the situation in the region and plans for the
implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement
signed yesterday between Croatia and the European Union.
Following the first formal meeting with Belgian Minister Annemie
Neiyts, Spain's state secretary for European affairs Ramon de
Miguel, EU high representative for foreign and security policy
Javier Solana, and David Daly of the European Commission in charge
of Croatia, Picula told a news conference the European
representatives were interested in how much the Croatian
government was stable, how much effort was being exerted in the
revival of the economy, and in which way the dialogue between the
two sides could be led.
The political cooperation between Croatia and the EU was formalised
on Monday with the adoption of a joint statement on political
dialogue. The statement will be a legal framework for political
dialogue until the SAA is ratified by the Croatian government and
those of EU member states.
Asked what he told the European representatives about the stability
of the Croatian government, Picula said a "clear indicator" of the
stability of the coalition government was that it had survived for
20 moths, during which there had been no lack of challenges in
reforms, and only one party had stepped out of the coalition. This
party has not turned to the opposition and is pan-European
oriented, he added.
"It is difficult to keep a coalition together in any country, but we
have so far shown that we have managed to do so," the foreign
minister asserted.
The European side is satisfied with our degree of readiness to
implement the SAA and to cooperate with countries in the region
where it has assumed a leading role, he said.
European Integration Minister Neven Mimica said he was encouraged
with the change of thought in the state administration where the
dominant stance was that the rapprochement to the EU was solely the
task of the European Integration and Foreign ministries.
"Today they realised that everybody carries their own part of
responsibility in the job," Mimica said, adding that the goal was to
create a team of expert people in every ministry who will manage to
carry out their part of the work.
(hina) lml