ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - "I can express satisfaction for the fact that the NATO Permanent Council made the decision and received Croatia into the Partnership for peace," Prime Minister Ivica Racan said after having received a
confirmation about Croatia's accession.
ZAGREB, May 10 (Hina) - "I can express satisfaction for the fact
that the NATO Permanent Council made the decision and received
Croatia into the Partnership for peace," Prime Minister Ivica Racan
said after having received a confirmation about Croatia's
accession. #L#
Racan on Wednesday received a letter by NATO Secretary-General
George Robertson informing him that the North Atlantic Council
(NAC) had granted Croatia's access into the programme.
"I am pleased to tell you that the North Atlantic Council this
morning approved the application of Croatia to join the Partnership
for Peace and the EAPC (Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council)," the
letter said.
"Welcome to the family," Robertson wrote.
"This decision is exceptionally important for Croatia. It is the
consequence of an assessment by the NATO Permanent Council that
Croatia has in the past several months of the new authority achieved
exceptional progress in carrying out a new policy," Racan said.
Racan, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula and Defence Minister Jozo
Rados had at the beginning of the week held final talks in NATO's
base, Brussels, before Croatia's entrance into the Partnership for
Peace.
"It was nice hearing yesterday the positive assessments about
Croatia at the meeting. In the past five years Croatia was not
exactly able to hear such assessments," Racan said.
He described the accession into the Partnership for Peace programme
as not only being of military, but also economic significance.
As an example he said a meeting with business people in London had
shown decisions such as these increased confidence of foreign
investors into Croatia.
(hina) lml jn