ZAGREB, Nov 30 (Hina) - During his visit to Belgrade, European Commission President Romano Prodi promised Yugoslavia only urgent assistance for this winter, which has never been subject to conditions, the EC Delegation to Zagreb said
in a statement on Thursday. "Humanitarian assistance offered by the EU has never been subject to conditions," reads the statement the Delegation issued in response to, as it said, untrue reports about Prodi's statements during his visit to Yugoslavia. The Croatian media quoted Prodi as saying during his visit to Belgrade the EU would set no conditions for Yugoslavia. President Prodi's visit was focused on the urgent assistance we have been providing Yugoslavia with since the democratic changes, the head of the EC Delegation in Croatia, Per Vinther, said. According to Vinther, the assistance consists of 200 million euros, which will be spent for food, through
ZAGREB, Nov 30 (Hina) - During his visit to Belgrade, European
Commission President Romano Prodi promised Yugoslavia only urgent
assistance for this winter, which has never been subject to
conditions, the EC Delegation to Zagreb said in a statement on
Thursday.
"Humanitarian assistance offered by the EU has never been subject
to conditions," reads the statement the Delegation issued in
response to, as it said, untrue reports about Prodi's statements
during his visit to Yugoslavia.
The Croatian media quoted Prodi as saying during his visit to
Belgrade the EU would set no conditions for Yugoslavia.
President Prodi's visit was focused on the urgent assistance we
have been providing Yugoslavia with since the democratic changes,
the head of the EC Delegation in Croatia, Per Vinther, said.
According to Vinther, the assistance consists of 200 million euros,
which will be spent for food, through a U.N. world food programme,
for oil and other things necessary for the people to make it through
the winter, as well as for different democratisation projects.
The 200 million euros have been secured from the Reconstruction
fund in line with the conclusions of the ministerial meeting in
Biarritz early this month, a source at the EC Delegation told Hina.
Those funds must not be mixed with the funds from the CARDS
programme, which as of January 2001 will replace the Reconstruction
and PHARE programmes, and which grants 830 million euros to all
countries included in the Stabilisation and Association Process,
including 240 million euros to Yugoslavia.
The EC statement also explains the nature of the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement (SAA), since some state officials in
Croatia, too, have assessed that it offers less than the agreements
offered to Hungary, Slovenia or Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania,
because signing it meant only becoming a potential EU candidate.
"In fact, on substance, the SAA in many areas go further than Europe
Agreements. Both types of agreement - although using different
words - confirm that the beneficiary country is a potential
candidate for full EU membership at some later stage," reads the
statement.
The statement further quotes the "evolutionary clause" of the SAA
between the EU and Macedonia, which confirms EU's readiness to
integrate Macedonia to the fullest possible extent and its status
as a potential candidate on the basis of the Treaty on the European
Union and fulfilment of the criteria defined by the European
Council in 1993, "subject to the successful implementation of this
Agreement, notably regarding regional cooperation."
The Process of Stabilisation and Association, the statement reads,
consists of political dialogue, billions of euros of financial
assistance, and improved access to the EU market for exports from
the countries and the conclusions of an SAA.
"In this process, each of the five countries will be assessed on its
own merits, but the EU has made it clear that rapprochement with the
European Union must go hand in hand with the process of developing
regional cooperation," the statement reads.
(hina) rml