CRO ACHIEVES PROGRESS IN COOPERATING WITH ICTY -- EU WORKING GROUP

ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - A Croatian and European Union working group, established to meet conditions for the start of negotiations on an association agreement, on Wednesday ended its second meeting in Zagreb concluding Croatia had achieved progress in cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and regional cooperation. #L# It has especially been noted that Croatia achieved progress in very sensitive areas such as cooperation with the Hague-based Tribunal, regional cooperation with neighbouring countries and some areas where new draft laws have been prepared; education, minority languages and reconstruction law, European Commission foreign relations administration director, Fabrizio Barbaso said. "Conclusions of the consultative working group's first meeting in February have to a great extent been realised and we are satisfied with the good estimates voiced by the European Commission. We have accepted the assessments as an important stimulus for further endeavours in the realisation of measures and criteria expected of us," Croatian Assistant Foreign Minister Vladimir Drobnjak said following the meeting. He announced a feasibility study for the start of negotiations on the Agreement on Stabilisation and Association would be completed by the end of May, and submitted to the EU Council of Ministers on June 13. We are on the right way to have official talks with the EU on signing the association agreement commence by the end of this year, possibly as soon as this autumn, Drobnjak said. A lot has still do be done, however, so the work on realising conclusions of the consultative working group "which remains one of the Government's most important priorities," continues, he stressed. The conclusions of the second working group meeting will be submitted to the Government and a new meeting will take place in Zagreb at the end of June. (hina) lml