CRO PARTIES APPLAUD EU DECISION TO START NEGOTIATIONS WITH CROATIA ON SAA

ZAGREB, Nov 20 (Hina) - Croatian political parties on Monday greeted today's decision of the European Union Council of Ministers to give the green light to the European Commission for the commencement of negotiations with Zagreb on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). Party leaders also expressed their satisfaction with announcement that a declaration of the Zagreb Summit, which was now being harmonised, would cite the principle of the EU individual treatment of countries in the region. Some parties, however, took with a pinch of salt the announcement that the text of declaration might combine the individual approach with the regional cooperation. "We do not reject cooperation, but no kind of cooperation can be a condition for the individual approach. Countries in the region are at different levels of development, and Croatia has no time to await others," said Dorica Nikolic on behalf of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS), which is one of six parties making up the ruling coalition. The HSLS refuses the old concept of the carrot-and-stick policy and every kind of 'auctioning off' from the European Union for the financial aid as Croatia has to date gained negative experience in such matter, Nikolic added. The Croatian People's Party (HNS), which is also a member of the ruling coalition, believes it is the wrong interpretation of the Summit's declaration that the individual treatment is conditioned by the regional cooperation. HNS spokesman Boris Blazekovic said it was not a combination of these two principles but they were two completely separate topics. The HNS regards the EU's decision to give the mandate to the European Commission for the start of negotiations with Croatia as a very important and long-awaited event. Zlatko Kramaric, a Vice-President of a coalition member - the Liberal Party (LS) - described the Zagreb Summit and the commencement of the negotiations on the SAA as the first real success of Croatia's foreign policy since the January elections. Another coalition party - Istrian Democratic Alliance (IDS) - views these two things as "a new chance for this area," said an IDS Vice President, Damir Kajin. Sabor Speaker Zlatko Tomcic who is the President of the coalition's Croatian Peasants' Party (HSS), said he had expected the decision on the start of the negotiations between his country and the European Commission on the SAA. He is also expecting the clear expression of Croatia's right to the individual treatment. In view of the Zagreb Summit, Tomcic said this was an inevitable event and the meeting could bring many advantages. Leaders of DC and HSP, two opposition parliamentary parties, also assessed today's decision of the EU to okay the start of the negotiations as positive. Mate Granic of the Democratic Centre (DC) pointed to the importance that Croatia may receive the so-called evolutionary clause on the clear definition of its prospects for the full accession into the EU, after the country's fulfilment of all criteria for the EU membership. The Croatian Party of Rights (HSP) is satisfied with the EU ministerial council's decision, but fears that "problems might occur in political conditions," HSP President Anto Djapic said. This right-wing party is against the Zagreb Summit and maintains that its goals are unclear. It, however, hopes the meeting could raise several important issues such as the succession to the former Socialist Federal republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). (hina) jn ms