ZAGREB, Jan 31 (Hina) - The European Union's decision on establishing closer ties with the new Croatian government is completely correct, said Christoph Zoepel, secretary of state at the German Foreign Ministry, upon completing his
two-day visit to Zagreb on Monday. During the visit, Zoepel met Premier Ivica Racan, Vice-Premiers Zeljka Antunovic and Slavko Linic, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and the president of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) parliamentary bench Mato Arlovic.
ZAGREB, Jan 31 (Hina) - The European Union's decision on
establishing closer ties with the new Croatian government is
completely correct, said Christoph Zoepel, secretary of state at
the German Foreign Ministry, upon completing his two-day visit to
Zagreb on Monday.
During the visit, Zoepel met Premier Ivica Racan, Vice-Premiers
Zeljka Antunovic and Slavko Linic, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula
and the president of the Social Democratic Party (SDP)
parliamentary bench Mato Arlovic. #L#
The German Government believes that it should establish very close
ties with the new Croatian authorities and that it has found a new
partner in Croatia, with whom it can go on the path of progress in
Europe, the German official told reporters.
He added that Croatian Premier Ivica Racan would visit Berlin and
meet German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on February 16, following
visits to Lisbon and Brussels.
Zoepel said the criteria for admission to the EU, which also applied
to Croatia, were known. He stressed his very good impression of
Croatian authorities and their readiness to quickly solve the
existing social and economic problems, including the issue of media
freedom, reforms of the military and police, and ethnic
coexistence.
The EU wants first to scan the situation in Croatia and then put in
motion mechanisms which would promote cooperation, such as the
PHARE programme, the Stability Pact's donors' conference, and the
Agreement on Stabilisation and Association.
Germany wants to give a significant contribution to that process,
however, in order for concrete steps to be made, one has to wait
first for a programme declaration of the Croatian Government,
announced for February 9, Zoepel added.
He stressed the importance of Croatia's contribution to the
strengthening of peace in the region and the support the country
gave in the development of an integral and sovereign Bosnia-
Herzegovina, using adequately the possibilities at its disposal
regarding BH Croats.
Asked how the new political situation in Croatia would reflect on
the application of the regional approach toward the countries of
the so-called western Balkans, into which Europe also included
Croatia, Zoepel said that if Croatia reached Slovenia's level,
there was no need to treat it differently. He expressed hope that
changes in Croatia would positively affect neighbouring
countries.
Speaking about concrete forms of the future cooperation between
Croatia and Germany, Zoepel said Germany wanted to help all
countries whose aim was to meet the Copenhagen criteria.
He said he was impressed with Premier Racan's statement that the
Government had no intention of seeking the re-scheduling of
Croatia's debts, but rather cared about the country's
international financial rating.
(hina) rml