ZAGREB, Feb 11 (Hina) - A delegation of Croatian state officials, headed by Croatian Premier Ivica Racan, will on Saturday leave Zagreb for visits to Lisbon, Brussels and Berlin, where it is to discuss Croatia's speedier accession to
Euro-Atlantic associations and the first moves the new government will make in that direction. Racan, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and the Minister of European Integration, Ivan Jakovcic, said the visits offered an opportunity to use the new, positive atmosphere in Croatia's relations with the international community and start implementing the government's programme on drawing closer to the European Union and NATO. The Croatian delegation will in Lisbon hold talks with Portuguese Premier Antonio Guterres, whose country is currently chairing the EU. The Croatian delegation faces the main part of their task in Brussels, where the first meeting of a joint EU-
ZAGREB, Feb 11 (Hina) - A delegation of Croatian state officials,
headed by Croatian Premier Ivica Racan, will on Saturday leave
Zagreb for visits to Lisbon, Brussels and Berlin, where it is to
discuss Croatia's speedier accession to Euro-Atlantic
associations and the first moves the new government will make in
that direction.
Racan, who is accompanied by Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and the
Minister of European Integration, Ivan Jakovcic, said the visits
offered an opportunity to use the new, positive atmosphere in
Croatia's relations with the international community and start
implementing the government's programme on drawing closer to the
European Union and NATO.
The Croatian delegation will in Lisbon hold talks with Portuguese
Premier Antonio Guterres, whose country is currently chairing the
EU.
The Croatian delegation faces the main part of their task in
Brussels, where the first meeting of a joint EU-Croatia
consultative working group is expected to take place. Racan is
expected to meet the President of the European Commission, Romano
Prodi, EU foreign ministers and the EU's high representative for
foreign policy and security, Javier Solana.
The establishment of the joint working group will be the first
concrete step in Croatia's drawing closer to the EU, which has given
a clear sign that it wishes to strengthen its cooperation with the
new Croatian government also by upgrading its office in Zagreb.
The Croatian premier will visit the NATO headquarters in Brussels,
where he will talk with NATO Secretary-General George Robertson,
whom he will hand a document expressing Croatia's wish to enter NATO
and its Partnership for Peace programme.
During the visits to Lisbon and Brussels, the Croatian delegation
will present the programme of the new government and discuss with
their hosts steps to be taken in fulfilling obligations toward the
international community and assistance Croatia expects in that
process.
EU and NATO officials have already made it clear that they expect
Croatia to quickly fulfil rapprochement conditions which had been
set long ago, of which the most important ones are democratisation,
the strengthening of media freedom, a speedier return of Croatian
Serb refugees, support for the Dayton peace agreement, and
relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina based on the recognition of
Bosnia as a sovereign state.
Picula said his visit to Sarajevo on Friday was a step which should
prove to the international community Croatia's changed
relationship with Bosnia.
During the visit to Berlin, Racan and his colleagues will meet
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Foreign Minister Joschka
Fischer.
The Croatian delegation will travel by regular air lines in line
with their promises of austerity and more modest behaviour of state
officials.
(hina) rml