EU PARLIAMENTARIANS REITERATE CONDITIONS FOR CROATIA'S APPROACHING EU

ZAGREB, April 22 (Hina) - Changes to the election law, improvement of freedom of the media and the continuation of implementation of the refugee return programme are the conditions Croatia has to meet so that it could be able to use the present favourable moment and approach the European Union, the Office of the European Commission's special envoy in Zagreb said a statement issued on Thursday. The statement was issued following a two-day meeting of a Croatian parliamentary delegation, headed by Parliament Vice-President Zarko Domljan, and a European Parliament delegation for relations with south-east Europe, led by its president Doris Pack. The meeting was held in Dubrovnik over the past two days. The European Parliament delegation expressed hope that Croatia would be able to use the current positive situation, created by its constructive cooperation with NATO, and make steps necessary for approaching the EU, the statement read. The delegation further believed that relations between the EU and Croatia, a country with a key role in the stability of south-east Europe, had to be strengthened, as well as that they should be raised to a higher level as soon as the key conditions were met. The European Union should increase its financial assistance for the process of reconstruction, non-government organisations promoting democracy and human rights, and for independent media, the European Parliament delegation said. It also said that Croatia, along with other first-line countries, which are facing the consequences of the NATO operation in Yugoslavia, should be given political support as well as technical and financial help. The Dubrovnik meeting was the seventh in a series of meetings between European and Croatian parliamentary representatives. It was agreed that the next meeting should take place in Brussels next year, after the elections for the European and Croatian Parliaments. (hina) rml