ZAGREB ZAGREB, Oct 12 (Hina) - A bilateral conference, dedicated to the cooperation between Croatia and Great Britain in efforts aimed at building a new Europe, was ceremonially opened in Zagreb by Croatian and British officials on
Thursday afternoon. Opening the conference entitled "Britain and Croatia, Working for a New Europe", Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said Croatia was ready to take its niche among responsible democracies and therefore his country was willing to use experiences and knowledge which Britain had acquired. Picula cited objectives of Croatia's foreign policy: its admission into the European Union and NATO, the establishment of good relations with its neighbours and the promotion of the regional cooperation. On this occasion Croatian Minister thanked the British Government for its interest in the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe and financial assistance
ZAGREB, Oct 12 (Hina) - A bilateral conference, dedicated to the
cooperation between Croatia and Great Britain in efforts aimed at
building a new Europe, was ceremonially opened in Zagreb by
Croatian and British officials on Thursday afternoon.
Opening the conference entitled "Britain and Croatia, Working for a
New Europe", Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said Croatia
was ready to take its niche among responsible democracies and
therefore his country was willing to use experiences and knowledge
which Britain had acquired.
Picula cited objectives of Croatia's foreign policy: its admission
into the European Union and NATO, the establishment of good
relations with its neighbours and the promotion of the regional
cooperation.
On this occasion Croatian Minister thanked the British Government
for its interest in the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe and
financial assistance it offered for refugees and mine clearance.
On behalf of the Croatian European Integration Ministry, which
along with the British Council in Zagreb and the Zagreb-based
institute for international relations organised this conference,
Mirjana Mladineo said Croatia was the most developed country in
comparison to all candidates from central Europe for the accession
into the Union, and therefore Zagreb should not be let wait.
After commenting on the tragic events in the region in the past
decade and on the toppled dictator Slobodan Milosevic who launched
wars, British Ambassador to Croatia, Colin Munroe, said that in the
building of a new Europe, physical and intellectual foundations of
Croatia and Great Britain were very firm.
The two-day conference consists of four workshops which will tackle
the issues of Croatia's bids to enter the EU and NATO and the
assistance which a 'big' country can offer to a 'small' one in order
that the latter may become a subject of international relations.
Participants in the Zagreb event are experts, diplomats,
government officials and British reporters - Robert Fox and Tim
Judah - who covered wars in the area of former Yugoslavia.
(hina) ms