CROATIA WANTS TO BE EU PARTNER AND PART OF SOUTH-EAST EUROPE - PICULA

ZAGREB, June 17 (Hina) - Croatia wants to be a partner to the European Union and follow its values but it also wants to be a partner to all Social Democratic parties in the south-east of Europe, said Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula on Saturday. Addressing a round table on the implementation of the Stability Pact for South East Europe, organised by Croatia's Social Democrat Party (SDP) in Zagreb, Picula commented also on the implementation of the Dayton peace accords. Croatia's Foreign Minister said he viewed the Stability Pact as the backing to the Dayton agreements. "I see the Stability Pact as additional support, broadly speaking, to the Dayton(-deal initiated) process, namely the process of transforming Bosnia-Herzegovina into an as much normal as possible European country," Picula told the round table. He stressed Croatia embraced the Stability Pact as a wished framework for promotion of its own economic interests. Participants in the round table were Croatian Social Welfare and Labour Minister Davorko Vidovic, Greek Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos who is a Vice President of the Party of European Socialists (PES), and the European Commission's special envoy to Croatia, Per Vinther, besides Picula. Present were also representatives of Social Democratic Parties of Bulgaria, Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia, Italy, Belgium and Portugal. (hina) ms