ZAGREB, Nov 22 (Hina) - Two days ahead of the Zagreb Summit scheduled for November 24, all delegations, apart from the delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, have confirmed their arrivals. By Wednesday morning, Yugoslavia
did not send an official confirmation which would also clarify the issue of the participation of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic in the Summit. Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic, in an interview for Croatian Television Tuesday evening, expressed a wish that all members of the Yugoslav delegation would arrive in Zagreb, including President Djukanovic. He, however, failed to confirm the official arrival of the Yugoslav delegation. The Croatian media speculated that a possible failure of Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica to arrive in Zagreb could be caused by big protests staged against his visit and statements to several media that he had no i
ZAGREB, Nov 22 (Hina) - Two days ahead of the Zagreb Summit
scheduled for November 24, all delegations, apart from the
delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, have confirmed
their arrivals.
By Wednesday morning, Yugoslavia did not send an official
confirmation which would also clarify the issue of the
participation of Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic in the
Summit.
Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic, in an interview for
Croatian Television Tuesday evening, expressed a wish that all
members of the Yugoslav delegation would arrive in Zagreb,
including President Djukanovic. He, however, failed to confirm the
official arrival of the Yugoslav delegation.
The Croatian media speculated that a possible failure of Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica to arrive in Zagreb could be caused by
big protests staged against his visit and statements to several
media that he had no intention of apologising to the Croatian people
for the Greater-Serbian aggression. On the other hand,
Djukanovic's arrival is uncertain due to his request that he have
the same status as other presidents of states at the Summit.
"We expressed a wish to see President Djukanovic at the Summit in
the same capacity as other presidents of states present at the
Summit," Montenegrin Foreign Minister Branko Lukovac told a press
conference in Podgorica Tuesday.
What exactly is going on the Belgrade-Podgorica line is not clear to
the public, but diplomatic sources confirmed attempts were being
made to find a mode which would satisfy both sides, i.e. find a
"counterbalance" for Djukanovic, namely a representative of the
Serbian government.
Even though Djukanovic is the president of one of the two Yugoslav
republics, Serbian President Milan Milutinovic can hardly be his
"counterbalance" considering that his name is on the indictment of
the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
Other delegations will begin to arrive in Zagreb on Thursday
afternoon.
The Croatian delegation, headed by President Stipe Mesic, includes
Prime Minister Ivica Racan, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula,
European Integration Minister Ivan Jakovcic, Deputy Foreign
Minister Vesna Cvjetkovic-Kurelec, and Assistant Foreign Minister
Vladimir Drobnjak.
Even though a draft of the final declaration called "The Zagreb
Summit Declaration" is not yet available, what is significant for
Croatia has been made public - in the document, the European Union
combines the individual approach - every country draws closer to
the European Union at its own pace and in line with its own merits,
with the regional approach by which the EU demands regional
cooperation.
This means that countries aspiring to join the EU have to solve
their possible unresolved issues before their admission.
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