ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - Special coordinator for the Stability Pact for the South East of Europe Bodo Hombach held a speech Wednesday before the European House in Zagreb, applauding Croatia's increasing contribution and role crucial
for the stability of the entire region. Recalling the scepticism the with which Stability Pact had been greeted in Croatia and Slovenia half a year ago, Hombach expressed satisfaction with the positive and active approach of Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and other countries in the region. The EU's and NATO's policy is for those aspiring to membership must first show capability to cooperate with neighbours, Hombach said, stressing he was glad Slovenia and Hungary understood this, and Croatia was following in their path. Speaking about some principles of the Pact's processes, Hombach stressed the Pact was a two-way street, that is, an interactive process in which the most supp
ZAGREB, April 12 (Hina) - Special coordinator for the Stability
Pact for the South East of Europe Bodo Hombach held a speech
Wednesday before the European House in Zagreb, applauding
Croatia's increasing contribution and role crucial for the
stability of the entire region.
Recalling the scepticism the with which Stability Pact had been
greeted in Croatia and Slovenia half a year ago, Hombach expressed
satisfaction with the positive and active approach of Croatia,
Slovenia, Hungary and other countries in the region.
The EU's and NATO's policy is for those aspiring to membership must
first show capability to cooperate with neighbours, Hombach said,
stressing he was glad Slovenia and Hungary understood this, and
Croatia was following in their path.
Speaking about some principles of the Pact's processes, Hombach
stressed the Pact was a two-way street, that is, an interactive
process in which the most support will be given to whoever helps
himself.
The Pact is a piece of paper and it can be everything or nothing, the
process it starts is important, he said, comparing the Pact
processes with the process initiated by the Helsinki Act in 1974.
That was a paper as well, but a paper which changed the world,
influencing reduction in the division of the East and West, he
added.
The similarity in the Helsinki process and the process of
stabilising the Balkans is in that the stability pact has taken on
three packages from Helsinki -- democracy, security and economy,
into its working tables.
Most reason for optimism Hombach found in the success of the recent
funding conference in Brussels which, with the gathered US$2.4
million, and moreover, with radically new approaches of connecting
expertly verified projects and donors, shows that the
international community supports the success of the process.
The present main priority, he said, is the quick start of
implementing the "quick start projects" 35 of which had been
granted in Brussels, five for Croatia.
The implementation of these projects is a precondition for the
realisation of other projects and for the success of the next
donors' conference which should take place at the end of this year
or the beginning of next year, he said.
He sees the main danger for the failure of the projects in the
slowness of bureaucracy.
(hina) lml jn