CRO ASSISTANT FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES EU MONITORING MISSION HEAD

ZAGREB, Jan 7 (Hina) - As a country chairing the European Union, Germany can certainly contribute to making discussion on EU- Croatia relations develop in a positive direction, Croatian Assistant Foreign Minister Ivo Sanader said in Zagreb on Thursday. According to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry, Sanader said so during talks with the new head of the Sarajevo-based EU Monitoring Mission, the incoming German Ambassador Hort Holthoff. In the coming months Croatia expects the intensification of its dialogue with the EU, which should "more appropriately value Croatia's achievements within the context of EU's conditionality policy". This especially refers to the resolution of problems in once occupied Croatian areas, the peaceful reintegration of the Danube region, cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, normalisation of relations with Yugoslavia, Croatia's full support for the implementation of the Dayton and Washington peace agreements, and its overall economic results, Sanader explained. The two officials stressed the importance of the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between Croatia and the EU, which regulates the overall relations between Croatia and the EU Monitoring Mission and excludes Croatia from the crisis region context. (hina) mm rml