BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Hina) - Speaking at Monday's news conference in Brussels, Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama, EU's high envoy for foreign policy and security Javier Solana and EU Foreign Relations Commissioner Chris Patten gave
very positive assessments of changes in Croatia and of a programme of political and economic reforms of the new Croatian government. Stressing that the EU was willing to help Croatia in implementing the reforms, Gama spoke of several concrete steps which reflected the readiness of the EU to start a process of bringing Croatia closer to the EU at a speedier pace. A joint consultative working group established by Croatia and the EU (which is to hold its first meeting in Brussels on Tuesday) is aimed at preparing the ground for and following the evolution of a process of opening talks on an Agreement on Stabilisation and Association, Gama said. He added the EU C
BRUSSELS, Feb 14 (Hina) - Speaking at Monday's news conference in
Brussels, Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama, EU's high envoy
for foreign policy and security Javier Solana and EU Foreign
Relations Commissioner Chris Patten gave very positive assessments
of changes in Croatia and of a programme of political and economic
reforms of the new Croatian government.
Stressing that the EU was willing to help Croatia in implementing
the reforms, Gama spoke of several concrete steps which reflected
the readiness of the EU to start a process of bringing Croatia
closer to the EU at a speedier pace.
A joint consultative working group established by Croatia and the
EU (which is to hold its first meeting in Brussels on Tuesday) is
aimed at preparing the ground for and following the evolution of a
process of opening talks on an Agreement on Stabilisation and
Association, Gama said. He added the EU Council of Ministers would
send its ministerial Troika to Croatia as soon as possible.
The crown of this process would be the drawing-up of a study on the
feasibility of the Agreement on Stabilisation and Association with
Croatia, which the EU Council of Ministers requested from the EU
Commission, he said.
Should the study be positive, it would precede the opening of talks
on the Agreement on Stabilisation and Association.
Javier Solana expressed great pleasure at being able to greet Ivica
Racan 'as the Premier of a democratic Croatia' at the EU
headquarters.
It is very important to have a democratic Croatia in the region
because it means that changes in a positive direction are possible
elsewhere in the region as well, he said, stressing Croatia's
opportunities and responsibilities in developing its relations
with Bosnia-Herzegovina and its policy toward Herzegovina.
We are very satisfied that the new Croatian government is aware of
that problem and that it is willing to help us in stabilising
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Solana said.
Equally important is that the new government has a new approach and
a new policy toward the return of refugees, Solana said, adding the
EU welcomed this and was willing to help Croatia.
The Croatian premier, who heads a delegation which includes Foreign
Minister Tonino Picula and European Integration Minister Ivan
Jakovcic, today also met the foreign ministers of the 15 EU member-
countries during a break in a regular Council of Ministers
session.
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