ZAGREB, Nov 25 (Hina) - President Vojislav Kostunica's claim that Yugoslavia is the closest to the European Union among the states in the region reminds of the old Belgrade rhetoric, and Serbia will be closer to the EU once it squares
accounts with the legacy of Slobodan Milosevic, Croatia's prime minister said on Saturday.
ZAGREB, Nov 25 (Hina) - President Vojislav Kostunica's claim that
Yugoslavia is the closest to the European Union among the states in
the region reminds of the old Belgrade rhetoric, and Serbia will be
closer to the EU once it squares accounts with the legacy of
Slobodan Milosevic, Croatia's prime minister said on Saturday.#L#
"Serbia will be close to the EU once it has effectively squared
accounts with Milosevic's policy and the fallacies of that policy.
This process... is neither easy nor quick... in the meantime I
wouldn't like to comment on statements which remind of the old
Belgrade rhetoric," PM Ivica Racan told reporters at Zagreb's
airport when asked about the statement Kostunica made yesterday
upon returning to Belgrade from the Zagreb Summit.
Speaking about a Central European Initiative summit he attended in
Budapest today, Racan said Croatia had reaffirmed "its Central
European orientation and interest to contribute to cooperation
among Central European countries."
Croatia firmly supported some projects it is especially interested
in, such as the Adriatic-Ionian highway, roads connecting Central
European countries, and development-oriented tourist projects,
said Racan.
While in the Hungarian capital, he discussed bilateral cooperation
with counterparts from Hungary, Bulgaria, and Macedonia.
Racan and Hungary's Viktor Orban concluded the building of a
Budapest-Rijeka highway was proceeding as planned, as was a joint
project of investing in the harbour of Croatia's northern Adriatic
port of Rijeka.
"We also assessed that we are finally about to close negotiations
on... a free trade agreement between Croatia and Hungary. I invited
Orban to make an official visit to Croatia, when I expect the
agreement will be signed," said Racan.
Economy Minister Goranko Fizulic, who alongside Foreign Minister
Tonino Picula accompanied Racan, said he expected the agreement to
be signed by the end of the year.
Racan said he briefed the CEI conference about the atmosphere,
results and conclusions of yesterday's Zagreb Summit, adding many
in Budapest had pointed to the value of the Zagreb conference.
He told reporters they should call him to task if during 2001
Croatia failed to apply for full membership in the European Union,
as he announced at the Zagreb Summit.
(hina) ha