ZAGREB SUMMIT MAKES HEADLINES OF CROATIAN PRESS ON FRIDAY

ZAGREB, Nov 24 (Hina) - Headlines on the first pages of Friday's issues of the Croatian press announced the Zagreb Summit and dailies tackled the assessment of the relations between the European Union's individual and regional treatment of Croatia. Dailies also quoted parts or the entire text of the draft declaration of the Summit. The 'Jutarnji List' daily announced the event on the front page with the headline: "Declaration: EU Urges Regional Cooperation and Individual Approach", and it also published comments written by EU leaders Romano Prodi and Javier Solana. Citing parts of the draft declaration and putting the emphasis on points referring to the individual treatment 'Jutarnji' forecast that the point three of the document would provoke most reactions. According to this newspaper, this point calls on the heads of state and government of Albania, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and the Federal republic of Yugoslavia, to conclude inter-state agreements on regional cooperation which envisages political dialogue, the establishment of regional area of free trade, and cooperation in the judiciary and internal affairs. European Commission President Romano Prodi's commentary reads that the European Union supports the regional cooperation as a means for the promotion of stability, security and development and underlines that "Nobody, I reiterate, nobody advocates the restoration of former Yugoslavia," Prodi stressed. 'Jutarnji' quoted Prodi as saying that dramatic changes had happened in the region this year, and only a year before the organisation of this Summit it was hard to imagine that such an event would happen in Zagreb. Since the January elections, Croatia has made great political and economic headway, setting an example to the entire region, Prodi wrote. The European Union's high representative for foreign and security policy, Javier Solana was quoted by this daily as saying that the Union's message would be very clear: the EU would like to step up and consolidate democracy and reconciliation through the re- affirmation of European prospects for the countries in the region. The European Union itself is an organisation or regional corporation, Solana wrote in his comment piece. Europe is willing to help and therefore during the Zagreb Summit, EU leaders will make public their commitment to initiating an assistance programme for reconstruction, democratisation and stabilisation of south-eastern Europe, incorporating Croatia, Solana added. The front page of another daily called 'Vjesnik' reads "Zagreb - The Capital of Europe Today". Vjesnik quoted Croatian senior officials as describing the Zagreb Summit as the greatest chance for Croatia to show its abilities in the world. A comment entitled "How Can Narrow Leeway Be Used for Europeasation of Croatia?" proposes the cooperation between the countries in the region following the example set by CEFTA. "The political stability of a country that functions as a link between Central Europe, Mediterranean and the Balkans, is the political interest both of the EU and global policy. Using a little diplomatic skills, the process which commences with the Zagreb Summit ... can be the introduction to the process of economic prosperity and political stabilisation of Croatia," this comment piece read. For its author, Davor Gjenero, Croatia must prevent the affirmation of an idea about a customs union in the Balkans, and particularly ideas about opening a united labour market, as this would thwart the control of borders and lead to putting the Schengen barrier before Croatian frontier. (hina) jn ms