PARIS, May 11 (Hina) - France and Croatia have started a new phase in their relations and the fact that Croatian President Stipe Mesic chose France as the first European Union country to pay a visit to is very important for us,
spokeswoman for the Elysee Palace, Catherine Colonna, said in Paris on Thursday. Speaking after today's meeting between Mesic and French President Jacques Chirac, Colonna said one should open a new chapter in the history of relations between the two countries, a more positive one, imbued with more trust. Asked to give more details about the talks between the two presidents, Colonna said they had first met in private about which she could not say anything. During today's working lunch the two presidents discussed bilateral cooperation, Croatia's drawing closer to the European Union and NATO and the country's new policy regarding the fulfilling of international obligations from the Dayton-Paris ag
PARIS, May 11 (Hina) - France and Croatia have started a new phase in
their relations and the fact that Croatian President Stipe Mesic
chose France as the first European Union country to pay a visit to is
very important for us, spokeswoman for the Elysee Palace, Catherine
Colonna, said in Paris on Thursday.
Speaking after today's meeting between Mesic and French President
Jacques Chirac, Colonna said one should open a new chapter in the
history of relations between the two countries, a more positive
one, imbued with more trust.
Asked to give more details about the talks between the two
presidents, Colonna said they had first met in private about which
she could not say anything.
During today's working lunch the two presidents discussed
bilateral cooperation, Croatia's drawing closer to the European
Union and NATO and the country's new policy regarding the
fulfilling of international obligations from the Dayton-Paris
agreement.
The EU has taken into account the democratic changes in Croatia and
it has decided to increase assistance to Croatia and consider the
possibility of starting negotiations on an agreement on
stabilisation and association, Colonna said.
"We support that policy," she said.
Croatia wants these negotiations to begin before the end of this
year, that is, during the French presidency of the EU, after the
European Commission submits its feasibility study regarding the
start of negotiations, Colonna said, adding France would like those
negotiations to start before the end of this year.
"This would be a very important signal to Croatia and your Minister
of European Integration Ivan Jakovcic should pay a visit to France
in September in connection with that."
Colonna said France welcomed the invitation forwarded to Croatia on
Wednesday to join the Partnership for Peace.
(hina) jn rml