GRANIC MEETS SPECIAL COORDINATOR FOR STABILITY PACT

ZAGREB, July 12 (Hina) - A special coordinator for the Stability Pact, Bodo Hombach, met Croatia's Foreign Minister Mate Granic in Zagreb on Monday. Hombach announced that the conference, at which the Stability Pact should be signed, would be held in late July in Sarajevo, whereas the first regional meeting should be held in Brussels in September. Granic described Hombach's incoming appearance as "very good and exceptionally pragmatic". "Mr Hombach has announced the next steps (in the implementation of the Stability Pact) and this means the organisation of the Sarajevo meeting on July 29 and 30, and the first regional meeting in Brussels in September", Granic told reporters after the talks. Today's talks also tackled mechanisms of work of the Stability Pact, Granic said, adding the places of regional meetings would most probably change. Croatia supports this since more countries are involved in the process of work and decision-making in that way", Granic said. Hombach informed the Croatian side that the Pact's secretariat would be based in Brussels, which was also welcomed by Croatian officials. "One of Croatia's main goals is for the Pact to help in European and transatlantic integration processes", Granic added. Hombach requested Croatian officials to suggest joint projects, primarily those concerning infrastructure in the wider region, and these projects could be discussed as early as at the first meeting in Brussels, Granic said. The Croatian foreign minister described the meeting with Hombach as promising, especially since it had been confirmed that the Stability Pact would provide assistance to individual states in the integration process. "Balkan, or any other south-east associations are out of the question; the Pact should help the economic recovery of the whole region - the first regional table will discuss economy and reconstruction - and the overall stability and security, as well as democratisation, Granic said. Granic told reporters he and European Integration Minister Ljerka Mintas-Hodak would leave for Brussels on July 20. "It will be the first unofficial working meeting between the European Union and Croatia, and it will focus on relations between Croatia and the EU in light of the beginning of talks on a stability and association agreement", Granic said, adding the Brussels meeting would be held at the suggestion of the EU, Finland and the European Commission. (hina) rml