PATTEN HOPES FOR POSITIVE ASSESSMENT, START OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH EU

ZAGREB, Mar 9 (Hina) - European Commission (EC) commissioner for foreign affairs Chris Patten on Thursday said he hoped a EC technical mission would give a positive assessment of the situation in Croatia, thus enabling the commencement of negotiations on Croatia's contractual relations with the European Union (EU). The EC Assessment Mission, visiting Croatia this week, is in charge of drafting an implementation study on Croatia's possibilities. Speaking to reporters after meeting Croatian Premier Ivica Racan, Patten said he hoped the Mission would be able to complete the study by the beginning of summer and that he strongly hoped it was going to be positive. In that case, the EC, with EU's consent, will be able to begin negotiations with Croatia on an agreement on stabilisation and association, he said. According to Patten, the EU's ambition was to improve co-operation with Croatia. This, he explained, was why the office of EC's high representative in Zagreb should be upgraded already today. Patten reminded the ambitions to commence EU-Croatia co-operation had motivated frequent meetings between high-ranking EU representatives with Croatian government officials. He said this was the reason he was visiting Croatia for the second time, the reason EC president Romano Prodi visited Croatia, and the reason Croatian Premier Racan made a very successful visit to Brussels. This is also the reason I earlier today invited Croatian President Mesic to visit us in Brussels, he added. MORE (hina) ha