GOVT. FORMS TEAM FOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH EU - EXTENDED

ZAGREB, Oct 26 (Hina) - The Croatian government at Thursday's session passed a decision on the formation of a team for impending negotiations on a Croatia-EU stabilisation and association agreement, appointing to its head the deputy economy minister. The negotiations are expected to kick off during the Nov. 24 Zagreb Summit. As chief negotiator, Minister Neven Mimica will have four assistants. Rounding up the negotiating team are the chief of Croatia's Mission to the European Union and representatives of competent ministries. The government also decided to form a state delegation for negotiations with the EU which besides the mentioned negotiating team includes the ministers for foreign affairs and European integration. The government also formed a body which will coordinate the activities of the negotiating team and the government in connection with EU negotiations, to be headed by First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic. Prime Minister Ivica Racan said this was a crucial step given Croatia's strategic objective, access to the EU. "The government has the obligation to do everything for this task (the stabilisation agreement) to be completed in a relatively short period of time, by early summer next year. This is what the evaluation of the government's success will depend on," he said. The state delegation will conduct direct political negotiations with the EC on the stabilisation and association agreement. It is chaired by the foreign minister, co-chaired by the minister for European integration, and includes the chief negotiator and his assistants, and the chief of Croatia's mission to the EU. The negotiating team, in charge of the technical level of negotiations, is headed by the chief negotiator, a secretary and four assistants, the chief of Croatia's mission to the EU, and one representative each from the ministries for foreign affairs, European integration, the economy, agriculture, finance, justice, the interior, and transport. The coordinating body, headed by First Deputy PM Granic, will include the ministers for foreign affairs, European integration, the interior, finance, the economy, agriculture, maritime affairs, justice, labour, and science, as well as the chief negotiator. Chief negotiator Mimica for the time being will not be relieved as deputy foreign minister. Granic said the stabilisation and association agreement was the first stage of negotiations with the EU which should last six months and help in designating further negotiations. (hina) ha