BRUSSELS, Jan 24 (Hina) - The European Union Foreign Ministers' Council on Monday decided to establish a joint consultative Task Force with Croatia as soon as possible and to invite Croatia's future Premier Ivica Racan at its next
session, scheduled for 14 February in Brussels.
BRUSSELS, Jan 24 (Hina) - The European Union Foreign Ministers'
Council on Monday decided to establish a joint consultative Task
Force with Croatia as soon as possible and to invite Croatia's
future Premier Ivica Racan at its next session, scheduled for 14
February in Brussels.#L#
After its session on Monday the EU Council made public its stands on
Croatia in a form of a special annex, entitled "Declaration on
Croatia", to general conclusions of this ministerial meeting.
"Recent parliamentary elections in Croatia, and the democratic way
they were conducted, have opened a new phase in Croatian politics,"
read the introduction to the declaration.
"The EU welcomes this development and looks forward to the
presidential elections and to the formation of a new government" in
Zagreb, it added.
Regarding such assessments, the Council has decided "to rapidly put
into place the Joint EU-Croatia Consultative Task Force, in order
to start preparing the ground for future contractual relations
within the framework of the 'Stabilisation and Association
Process'," the document read.
The Council has decided, as a first step towards intensifying the
political dialogue, to extend an invitation to the future Croatian
Prime Minister designate to come at the meeting with the EU General
Affairs Council on 14 February.
The Council "is encouraged by the positive meeting (EU Commission)
President Romano Prodi had in Zagreb on 14 January with the new
leadership of Croatia" and the acting head of state, Vlatko
Pavletic.
The Council greeted "the Commission's intention of upgrading its
representation to Zagreb as well as of sending a fact finding
mission next month, mandated to assess the needs and establish the
priorities with a view to enhancing Community assistance."
As soon as conditions allow it, a feasibility study on the
Stabilisation and Association Agreement could be envisaged, the
Declaration said.
EU Foreign Ministers said "with a view to the perspective of
Croatian integration in the European structures, the European
Union expects the new government to meet the well known conditions
necessary for a closer relationship between Croatia and the EU."
The EU expects "progress on constitutional, electoral, media and
judicial reform, full respect of human rights and fundamental
freedoms, economic reform, active progress on Croatia's
obligations under the Dayton/Paris Agreement (including refugee
return and full cooperation with the ICTY)."
The EU also looks forward to Croatia's full commitment to regional
cooperation according the principles and objectives of the
Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe.
The EU expressed its readiness to offer assistance to Croatian
authorities in order that Croatia may achieve "early progress on
these issues and that the Croatian Government can meet challenges
"it faces in developing a closer relationship with the EU."
At the end of the Declaration the EU Council "expresses the hope
that the recent developments in Croatia will be an example soon to
be followed throughout the region and will mark the beginning of a
fruitful and constructive cooperation between the EU and
Croatia."
(hina) ms