BRUSSELS, April 12 (Hina) - An official with the European Union Council of Ministers on Wednesday said the Council's assessments of Croatia were very positive and that actions announced at various meetings were underway. Asked why
relations with Croatia were not mentioned in the official and final version of a statement from April 10 session of the EU Council of Ministers in Luxembourg, published in Brussels today, the head of the Council's press service, Norbert Schwaiger, said this did not change anything in the essence of the matter. The final version of the statement was shortened at the proposal of Javier Solana so that repetition of the already known things or things which are more or less known is avoided, Schwaiger explained. A working version of conclusions, which was available to reporters covering the ministerial session in Luxembourg on Monday, states, among very positive assessments of
BRUSSELS, April 12 (Hina) - An official with the European Union
Council of Ministers on Wednesday said the Council's assessments of
Croatia were very positive and that actions announced at various
meetings were underway.
Asked why relations with Croatia were not mentioned in the official
and final version of a statement from April 10 session of the EU
Council of Ministers in Luxembourg, published in Brussels today,
the head of the Council's press service, Norbert Schwaiger, said
this did not change anything in the essence of the matter.
The final version of the statement was shortened at the proposal of
Javier Solana so that repetition of the already known things or
things which are more or less known is avoided, Schwaiger
explained.
A working version of conclusions, which was available to reporters
covering the ministerial session in Luxembourg on Monday, states,
among very positive assessments of the reformist work of the new
Croatian government, that a feasibility study on opening talks with
Croatia will be prepared for the June session of the EU Council of
Ministers.
Schwaiger said the two paragraphs on Croatia had not been prepared
for ministerial discussion, but only for confirmation, Schwaiger
said, adding this changed nothing in the essence of the matter.
Javier Solana suggested that press statements be written in line
with a new method so as to avoid the impression that there are more
statements than action, Schwaiger said.
Instead of lengthy statements that were issued until now, Solana
requested much shorter conclusions on topics which have been really
considered by the ministers and which are new, Schwaiger said.
(hina) rml