ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER: 1000 REASONS FOR INDIVIDUAL APPROACH

HNA3688 4 VP 00469 Hina News Service HR-CROATIA-SUMMIT-AMATO ZAGREB, November 24th (Hina) - In a statement issued on Friday in Zagreb, Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato clearly expressed his support to the individual approach of Eastern European countries in their relations with the European Union. They have a thousand of reasons to hold individual negotiations with the fifteen members of EU, Amato stated at the press conference held at the Press Centre on Friday afternoon, after the closure of the Zagreb Summit. Without going into detailed historical analysis, Amato described the history of Balkanic countries by a metaphorical statement, saying that "the people who have had a bad marriage are the most fervent advocates of staying single". Commenting on the atmosphere of the Zagreb meeting, he said that it was reminiscent of the times after the World War II, when the former enemies realised that they must co-operate. The result of this is today's reality - the existence of the EU. The example of European Union is a reference point for the South- Eastern European countries on their way to the very same European Union, Amato said. Stating that he was very pleased with the Zagreb meeting, he expressed a special appreciation for Croatia. "Croatia was the first to make a change", he said and welcomed the inclusion of Yugoslavia into the Adriatic-Ionic initiative, stating that he was particularly pleased that today Croatia assumed the position of presiding country in the organisation. Amato, whose answers will be remembered as witty and sharp, refused to answer the question asked by an Italian journalist whether it was true that the Croatian president Stjepan Mesić and the Yugoslav president Vojislav Koštunica refused to shake hands. Stating briefly that he had not seen that, he said that he did not want to provide material for the tabloids.