ZAGREB, June 30 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Wednesday addressed the parliament's House of Representatives on Croatia's international position. By supporting NATO's action in Yugoslavia, Croatia has made a
speedier integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions possible, Granic said, but added integration continues to depend on the fulfilment of the conditions that have been set before Croatia. "Our stance in the Kosovo crisis unambiguously demonstrated Croatia's international reliability, credibility, and responsibility, which has led the European Union (EU), its member-countries, and the United States to intensify dialogue with us." The foreign minister said leading western factors have assessed this as Croatia's opportunity to step up and expand its approach to Euro-Atlantic integration. "Real prospects for an impending access to NATO's Partnership for Peace have
ZAGREB, June 30 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on
Wednesday addressed the parliament's House of Representatives on
Croatia's international position.
By supporting NATO's action in Yugoslavia, Croatia has made a
speedier integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions possible,
Granic said, but added integration continues to depend on the
fulfilment of the conditions that have been set before Croatia.
"Our stance in the Kosovo crisis unambiguously demonstrated
Croatia's international reliability, credibility, and
responsibility, which has led the European Union (EU), its member-
countries, and the United States to intensify dialogue with us."
The foreign minister said leading western factors have assessed
this as Croatia's opportunity to step up and expand its approach to
Euro-Atlantic integration.
"Real prospects for an impending access to NATO's Partnership for
Peace have really opened for us, as well as for significantly
elevating relations with the EU," Granic said.
"If we fulfil our western partners' expectations, we shall sign the
Agreement on Stability and Associate Joining with the EU, and then
we can access the Central European Free Trade Association," he
said, adding by year's end Croatia also expects the completion of
negotiations with and full membership in the World Trade
Organisation.
The foreign minister however reminded that integration continues
to depend on Croatia's creation of a public television, cooperation
with The Hague war crimes tribunal, passing of new electoral
legislation, and the return of Serb refugees to Croatia.
Both the ruling party and the opposition are equally responsible
for the accomplishment of these goals, which are in Croatia's
interest, Granic stressed.
The damage would be "inestimable" were Croatia to fail to turn the
potentials lying in its comparative advantages into actual
achievements, he said.
Croatia's support to NATO's actions in Yugoslavia logically
evolved into Croatia's participation in the stability pact for
south-eastern Europe which, the foreign minister said, should
ensure a speedier and more complete access to the EU and NATO, in
line with Croatia's efforts, achievements, and aspirations.
Granic refuted doubts that the pact was only EU's already familiar
regional approach in new clothes, or even a plan to return Croatia
to Balkan associations or to reform the former Yugoslavia.
"I firmly believe the Stability Pact is something new, something
different," he stressed.
"Croatia, Slovenia, and Hungary believe they will play an important
role in pulling out the most jeopardised countries (from crisis),
that in this delicate task they will be partners to the EU, America,
and Russia, and the world's most important political and economic
organisations and banks."
Granic said that with its active approach, Croatia has ensured an
important place in the pact, expected to be signed in Sarajevo in
late July.
This is the result of the support this Croatian initiative has
received from all relevant political parties in the country, as
well as because "a significant body of the ruling party, the
Croatian Democratic Union, including its leadership headed by
President Tudjman, supports this Croatian breakthrough onto the
European political and economic stage," Granic said.
He pointed out that, "had Croatia rejected the pact, it would have
been the only one in the same bag as Milosevic's Yugoslavia."
Granic also spoke about occasional opinions, whose importance he
said was marginal, which said that the countries of the former
Yugoslavia, Slovenia excluded, but with the addition of Albania,
should be joined in some form of association before collectively
joining the EU.
Croatia successfully invalidated such views with "convincing
arguments and by the example of its own efforts, achievements, and
aspirations," Granic said
Speaking about relations with neighbouring countries, Granic said
Croatia supported the Montenegrin government in their efforts to
step up the normalisation of relations with Croatia, prior to
which, he said, Croatia expects an apology for the aggression on the
Dubrovnik area, southern-most Croatia, in 1991.
Croatia wishes to develop good neighbourly relations with the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as well, the foreign minister said,
but added the "dynamics and quality" will depend on the nature of
the Belgrade government and its policy.
Speaking about relations with western neighbour Slovenia, Granic
said progress had been made lately regarding the jointly owned
nuclear power plant "Krsko", following the initialled agreement on
property relations, and the mediation of the International
Monetary Fund in attempts to find a solution for Croatian deposits
in Slovenia's Ljubljanska bank.
(hina) ha