ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - A Croatia-European Union joint consultation task force started its second meeting in Zagreb on Wednesday, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The meeting aims at further development of
political and economic relations between Croatia and the European Union. Officials are discussing most significant political issues, and series of economic, financial, legal, and other issues. The meeting is attended by experts of the European Commission and representatives of the Croatian Government's ministries. On behalf of the Portuguese presidency of the European Union, Portuguese Ambassador to Croatia Anna Barata welcomed efforts Croatia had been investing in the process of approaching the European Union. She stressed the support in the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and regional
ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - A Croatia-European Union joint
consultation task force started its second meeting in Zagreb on
Wednesday, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The meeting aims at further development of political and economic
relations between Croatia and the European Union. Officials are
discussing most significant political issues, and series of
economic, financial, legal, and other issues. The meeting is
attended by experts of the European Commission and representatives
of the Croatian Government's ministries.
On behalf of the Portuguese presidency of the European Union,
Portuguese Ambassador to Croatia Anna Barata welcomed efforts
Croatia had been investing in the process of approaching the
European Union. She stressed the support in the implementation of
the Dayton Agreement, cooperation with the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and regional
cooperation.
Director with the European Commission Administration for Foreign
Policy Fabrizio Barbaso reminded that the Council of Europe in
Lisbon on March 23 confirmed Europe's perspective of Croatia, and
added that the European Commission planned to complete a
feasibility study for the beginning of negotiations on an agreement
on stabilisation and association by June.
The Council of Ministers in expected to adopt the feasibility
study, which would create conditions for the beginning of
negotiations between Croatia and the European Union. The European
commission also proposed that programmes of the European
Investment Bank for Croatia be opened, as well as various
programmes of technical support.
Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Drobnjak and Croatian
Deputy Minister for European Integration Mirjana Mladineo reported
on activities of the Croatian Government regarding the
implementation of recommendations from the first meeting of the
joint task force held in Brussels on February 15, and overall
preparations for future negotiations on the agreement on
stabilisation and association, read the statement.
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