BRUSSELS, May 9 (Hina) - Croatia has achieved impressive progress, in fulfilling the conditions required to be accepted to the Partnership for Peace, NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said on Tuesday. A formal decision on
acceptance should be adopted by the Council of Permanent Representatives of NATO countries at its regular session on Wednesday in Brussels, Robertson said while Croatian Premier Ivica Racan said he was going to Brussels "completely certain" of what that decision will be. "Today we heard only positive evaluations here (about Croatia). Support was shown for even more than relates directly to the Partnership for Peace", Racan told journalists following his talks with Robertson and his presentation before the Permanent Council. He said that there was talk of assisting Croatia with economic reforms and development. The formal decision regarding Croatia's entry as the 45th
BRUSSELS, May 9 (Hina) - Croatia has achieved impressive progress,
in fulfilling the conditions required to be accepted to the
Partnership for Peace, NATO Secretary-General George Robertson
said on Tuesday.
A formal decision on acceptance should be adopted by the Council of
Permanent Representatives of NATO countries at its regular session
on Wednesday in Brussels, Robertson said while Croatian Premier
Ivica Racan said he was going to Brussels "completely certain" of
what that decision will be.
"Today we heard only positive evaluations here (about Croatia).
Support was shown for even more than relates directly to the
Partnership for Peace", Racan told journalists following his talks
with Robertson and his presentation before the Permanent Council.
He said that there was talk of assisting Croatia with economic
reforms and development.
The formal decision regarding Croatia's entry as the 45th member of
the Partnership for Peace should be adopted at Wednesday's meeting
of the Council of Permanent NATO Country Representatives in
Brussels while the actual accession would occur in Florence May 24
or 25 at a session of the NATO Ministerial Council.
In his speech before the heads of the Permanent Missions with NATO,
Premier Racan on Tuesday presented the results achieved by the
Croatian Government since February when it applied for accession to
the Partnership for Peace.
In a 20 minute speech, Racan spoke about developments in relations
between Croatian and Bosnia-Herzegovina based on the principle of
strict respect for Bosnia's sovereignty and the Dayton accord, as
well as indiscriminatory politics with regard to refugee returns to
Croatia. These were the two basic conditions that NATO presented
Croatia to access the Partnership for Peace.
Racan spoke about Croatia's active role in regional stabilisation,
reforms in the armed forces and Croatia's Defence Ministry,
cooperation with The Hague Tribunal and on progress in establishing
freedom of the media.
In conclusion, Racan said that the Partnership for Peace was not
Croatia's only purpose but that it wanted to "be and active
partner".
"One of the first steps we are considering is to join in NATO's
efforts in Kosovo with a small but well trained unit", Racan said.
(hina) sp jn