ZAGREB, Nov 21 (Hina) - During the upcoming Zagreb Summit, Zagreb will officially begin negotiations on the signing of an Agreement on Stabilisation and Association, thus making the first step towards accession into the European
Union, and later will request membership, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said at Tuesday's session of the Croatian parliament's Committee for Foreign Affairs. During a discussion on the Summit, Picula informed the Committee about the course of preparations for this Friday's conference. According to him, there are no contentions issues. As far as the final document is concerned, which was discussed by the EU Council of Ministers on Monday and should end today, Picula stressed the term "Western Balkans" was not mentioned in the document. "Heads of states and governments are not coming to lead us into the Balkans, but to open up the gates of the EU for us," Picula said, re
ZAGREB, Nov 21 (Hina) - During the upcoming Zagreb Summit, Zagreb
will officially begin negotiations on the signing of an Agreement
on Stabilisation and Association, thus making the first step
towards accession into the European Union, and later will request
membership, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said at
Tuesday's session of the Croatian parliament's Committee for
Foreign Affairs.
During a discussion on the Summit, Picula informed the Committee
about the course of preparations for this Friday's conference.
According to him, there are no contentions issues. As far as the
final document is concerned, which was discussed by the EU Council
of Ministers on Monday and should end today, Picula stressed the
term "Western Balkans" was not mentioned in the document.
"Heads of states and governments are not coming to lead us into the
Balkans, but to open up the gates of the EU for us," Picula said,
refuting expressed fears by members of the opposition's Croatian
Democratic Union that "this summit could be historic in a negative
sense also" should joining the EU not be on an individual basis.
(hina) lml jn