ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - During its impending visit to Brussels, a Croatian delegation will state the concrete steps it will take in meeting conditions set for a rapid access to the European Union (EU) and NATO, both of which announced
they widely embraced cooperation with the newly-elected authorities, Croatia's foreign minister said on Thursday.
ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - During its impending visit to Brussels, a
Croatian delegation will state the concrete steps it will take in
meeting conditions set for a rapid access to the European Union (EU)
and NATO, both of which announced they widely embraced cooperation
with the newly-elected authorities, Croatia's foreign minister
said on Thursday.#L#
Croatia's new Premier Ivica Racan will make his first official
visit abroad to Brussels on February 14 and 15. He will acquaint EU
and NATO representatives with the programme of his government, and
hold talks on a more rapid integration of Croatia with Euro-
Atlantic structures.
"It is an outstanding opportunity to present the Croatian
government's programme in the political heart of the EU (...) and
thus for us to turn a new page in relations with the EU, which will
gradually come to represent our country's increasing integration
with the EU," Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told reporters in
Zagreb.
On his visit to Brussels, Racan will be joined by Picula and
Croatia's European Integration Minister Ivan Jakovcic.
Prior to Brussels, the Croatian delegation will visit Lisbon, and
Berlin after Brussels.
"To realise the government's objective to join Euro-Atlantic
integration, it is imperative that we state as soon as possible how
we intend to do so from an operative point of view," said Picula.
He announced Racan would in Brussels present NATO Secretary-
General George Robertson with a document in which Croatia expresses
its wish to join NATO, and as a beginning, its Partnership for Peace
programme.
Before Brussels, Picula will visit Sarajevo on February 11 to show
the international community Croatia's changed attitude towards
Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH).
"The stability of BH is certainly an exceptionally important
element of the entire security structure of Europe's south-east,
and democratic Croatia, by carefully building quality relations
with BH, can make the right contribution to the stabilisation of the
situation in this delicate part of Europe," Picula said.
Croatia wants to co-operate with the whole of BH, as well as with its
entities, but its ties with the Croat-Muslim Federation, one of the
two, are special, the foreign minister said.
Speaking about other obligations to the international community,
Picula said the Croatian government was willing to implement them,
but pointed out implementation of some would depend on
international financial assistance.
Since 2000 is the year of austerity, "we shall be very interested in
seeing the international community support our political will with
concrete financial means," the foreign minister concluded.
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