PARIS, June 22 (Hina) - Croatia could in the near future start counting on its participation in European Union's PHARE programme, French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said during his talks with Croatia's Foreign Minister Mate Granic
in Paris on Tuesday. Vedrine told reporters that during a discussion at a meeting held in Luxembourg on Monday, EU foreign ministers had announced readiness to enable Croatia to in the near future start using the benefits of the PHARE programme, as a sign of EU's good faith in the development of relations with Croatia. "This is something completely new", said Granic when asked about the importance of the Luxembourg meeting. He said that the conclusions of the Luxembourg meeting were more favourable than the European Commission's proposal and that progress Croatia had made had been recognised. The European Commission's proposal "opened the door to the
PARIS, June 22 (Hina) - Croatia could in the near future start
counting on its participation in European Union's PHARE programme,
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said during his talks with
Croatia's Foreign Minister Mate Granic in Paris on Tuesday.
Vedrine told reporters that during a discussion at a meeting held in
Luxembourg on Monday, EU foreign ministers had announced readiness
to enable Croatia to in the near future start using the benefits of
the PHARE programme, as a sign of EU's good faith in the development
of relations with Croatia.
"This is something completely new", said Granic when asked about
the importance of the Luxembourg meeting.
He said that the conclusions of the Luxembourg meeting were more
favourable than the European Commission's proposal and that
progress Croatia had made had been recognised.
The European Commission's proposal "opened the door to the
programme "Tempus" but there was no mention whatsoever of the PHARE
programme", Granic said. He expected the EU Council of Ministers
would "announce a possibility of accelerated opening of the PHARE
programme towards Croatia".
"Croatia's role in the Kosovo crisis and in the creation of the
Stability Pact has been recognised. If the current talks between
the ruling party and the Opposition regarding several important
issues, the most important one being the election law, are
successfully completed, then we can expect the PHARE programme, as
well as the agreement on stability and admission", Granic said.
In one-hour talks, the two ministers discussed the overall
Croatian-French relations, including those in the economy, as well
as Croatia's relations with the EU, and several international
topics, including the stabilisation of the situation in the
region.
Granic said the relations between the two countries were stable and
continually improving.
According to Vedrine, the two countries have the same stances
regarding the measures taken over the past several months by the
Contact Group, G8 and the U.N. Security Council.
The two officials also discussed measures Croatia could take to
help consolidate the situation in Bosnia, as well as the return of
refugees to Croatia.
Speaking about the Stability Pact, Vedrine said France believed the
pact included measures for the stabilisation of the whole region,
but every country should receive separate treatment.
"What is most important is respect for the basic principles adopted
in Cologne. This means that the pact was created on a voluntary
basis and that the achievements of every country will depend on how
active it is in that process", Granic said.
The most important thing for Croatia is for the whole region to
become stable, and for the country to become integrated into the EU
and NATO, as the final strategic goals, Granic stressed.
(hina) rml