STRASBOURG, March 8 (Hina) - Croatian European Integration Minister Ljerka Mintas-Hodak during Monday's talks with Council of Europe's Secretary-General Daniel Tarchys, confirmed Croatia's interest in a lasting and very successful
cooperation with the Council of Europe in many areas, particularly in issues if protection and promotion of human rights. Tarchys told reporters the talks had focused on several subjects concerning human rights, especially education in that sphere. I listened with pleasure about efforts Croatia has been investing in human rights since it was admitted into the Council of Europe, Tarchys said. He added the two also discussed cooperation by which the Council of Europe would endorse reforms Croatia has been carrying out in several fields. Talks about the subject should continue at the level of experts. Croatia has already signed a number of conventions and other basic Council of Europe
STRASBOURG, March 8 (Hina) - Croatian European Integration
Minister Ljerka Mintas-Hodak during Monday's talks with Council of
Europe's Secretary-General Daniel Tarchys, confirmed Croatia's
interest in a lasting and very successful cooperation with the
Council of Europe in many areas, particularly in issues if
protection and promotion of human rights.
Tarchys told reporters the talks had focused on several subjects
concerning human rights, especially education in that sphere.
I listened with pleasure about efforts Croatia has been investing
in human rights since it was admitted into the Council of Europe,
Tarchys said.
He added the two also discussed cooperation by which the Council of
Europe would endorse reforms Croatia has been carrying out in
several fields. Talks about the subject should continue at the
level of experts.
Croatia has already signed a number of conventions and other basic
Council of Europe acts, so Monday's talks were concerned with
establishing forms of cooperation so the implementation of the
conventions would be complete and more effective.
The Council of Europe will provide support for Croatia in this
sense, Tarchys said.
Mintas-Hodak told reporters she had expressed Croatia's readiness
to continue strengthening democratic processes.
We also discussed progress being made to apply amendments to the
electoral law and to solve the issue of further democratisation of
the media, Mintas-Hodak said.
She added she had informed Tarchys about progress in the process of
return of refugees and displaced persons as well as difficulties,
such as insufficient material resources to accelerate the
processes of reconstruction and return.
We also discussed education in human rights and about Council of
Europe's support in changes and adjustments of legislature to
standards stipulated in the council of Europe's conventions.
The adjustment of Croatian legislature with the European Human
Rights Convention is almost completed, she stressed.
The model of cooperation with the Council of Europe should,
therefore, be changed to suit the application of the Convention,
that is, the provisions of Croatian laws. This concerns proceedings
before Croatian courts regarding human rights, Mintas-Hodak
stressed.
Representatives of the Croatian legislature will in that sense
cooperate more with institutions and experts of the Council of
Europe, she said.
Speaking about Monday's signing of the Social Charter, Mintas-
Hodak stressed it was an important Council of Europe act.
While the European Human Rights Convention concerns civil and
political rights, the Social Charter is concerned with social and
economic rights, she stressed.
(hina) lml