PARIS, March 25 (Hina) - We would like the European Union to recognise Croatia's European potential, Croatian President Stipe Mesic says in an article Paris-based daily Le Monde published on Saturday under the headline "A New Croatia
on the Path Towards a New Europe." According to President Mesic, this European potential could better serve the process of stabilisation and association Croatia wants to join as soon as possible.
PARIS, March 25 (Hina) - We would like the European Union to
recognise Croatia's European potential, Croatian President Stipe
Mesic says in an article Paris-based daily Le Monde published on
Saturday under the headline "A New Croatia on the Path Towards a New
Europe."
According to President Mesic, this European potential could better
serve the process of stabilisation and association Croatia wants to
join as soon as possible.#L#
In recent months, Brussels has repeatedly announced the
possibility of opening negotiations in upcoming months on the
establishment of the first contractual relations between Croatia
and the EU, in the form of an agreement on stabilisation and
association.
"It would be a decisive gesture which would bring New Croatia
considerably closer to New Europe," the Croatian president says in
Le Monde's extensive article, which begins on the front page.
"While in the past our country was faced with an avalanche of
criticism, often justified, and in vain hoped it could participate
in a unique undertaking like European integration, the time seems
to have come now to formalise a new form of co-operation with the
European Union."
"Let us not forget however, that it were Croatia's citizens who made
it possible to redefine Zagreb-Brussels relations," President
Mesic says, reminding that Croatia's voters had chosen democratic
changes at January's parliamentary elections and were applauded by
many European officials.
The reforms Croatia has announced in view of establishing a
genuinely civil society will not remain a dead letter on paper,
because the first signs of their coming into effect can already be
seen. Mesic says an expert commission has been established under
his auspices to change the Constitution in view of redistributing
the president's currently extensive powers between parliament and
the government. This is a significant contribution to the
democratisation of Croatia's political scene, he adds.
We have demonstrated Croatia is willing to make fast progress in
fully applying the Washington-Paris agreements and co-operating
with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague, President Mesic says,
reminding he had personally given a witness testimony before the
tribunal.
We respect, completely and unambiguously, the sovereignty and
territorial integrity of neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina, which
also implies transparency in financing Bosnian Croat institutions,
the President says in the article.
Croatia is leading a constructive policy aimed at alleviating
tension in the region, he adds, pointing out however there can be no
complete stability in the region as long as Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic is in power.
"After recent years full of suffering and adversity, we see that a
different Croatia may be perceived on the horizon of our region.
This New Croatia should be a model, it should show that it is
possible to build a democratic state which respects human rights
and minorities, and is founded on open economy, and also that the
embracing of Europe's fundamental values is the only proper
orientation."
Nobody doubts it, the road leading to the adoption and
implementation of European achievements, in the political,
economic, legislative, social or cultural fields, is long,
President Mesic asserts.
"If however, this open and ambitious Croatia were really assisted,
the process of its inevitable transformation could certainly be
facilitated and accelerated. Because, even though Croatia is not
lacking - it is fully aware of its potential, which must be used only
effectively - it still needs considerable economic and financial
assistance to complete the reforms it has begun."
Croatia is not looking for someone else to do the hard task it set
itself to do, it does not seek for special treatment, President
Mesic says. Croatia is only calling on Brussels to be objective and
constructive in assessing its situation and past successes in
building a civil society and modern economy, he adds.
"Let us prove to Croatia's citizens that they were right when they
showed they believe in the EU. Let us hope the Union's institutions
will recognise Croatia's potential," President Mesic says in the Le
Monde article, reminding the EU Commission six weeks ago announced
its strategic goal over the next five years was Romano Prodi's
ambitious project of building a new Europe.
(hina) ha