ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa on Thursday told a government session full member status in the European Union (EU) is one of the strategic objectives of Croatia's foreign policy. The government today adopted a
plan of Croatian integration activities aimed at membership in the EU, thus providing an outline for conducting and co-ordinating activities in the field of political, economic, and judicial adjustments necessary in the integration process. Foreign Minister Mate Granic said the plan was the necessary basis for Croatia's integration with the EU. He confirmed the existence of political conditions to achieve that, adding Croatia maintains meeting those conditions is in its interest. A consensus between the ruling and opposition parties on new election legislation and the transformation of Croatian Radio- Television into a public one will be
ZAGREB, July 15 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa on Thursday
told a government session full member status in the European Union
(EU) is one of the strategic objectives of Croatia's foreign
policy.
The government today adopted a plan of Croatian integration
activities aimed at membership in the EU, thus providing an outline
for conducting and co-ordinating activities in the field of
political, economic, and judicial adjustments necessary in the
integration process.
Foreign Minister Mate Granic said the plan was the necessary basis
for Croatia's integration with the EU. He confirmed the existence
of political conditions to achieve that, adding Croatia maintains
meeting those conditions is in its interest.
A consensus between the ruling and opposition parties on new
election legislation and the transformation of Croatian Radio-
Television into a public one will be the most important steps in
Croatia's dialogue with the EU, Granic said.
Another two conditions are cooperation with The Hague-based
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY),
and the return of refugees and displaced people to their pre-war
homes.
The foreign minister reiterated that Finland, currently presiding
the EU, had invited him and Croatia's European Integration Minister
Ljerka Mintas-Hodak to an informal meeting in Brussels on July 20.
The meeting should prepare the beginning of Croatian-EU
negotiations on a stabilisation and association agreement.
"I believe that formal negotiations between Croatia and the EU will
open in early autumn," Granic added.
The foreign minister reminded Croatia almost completed
negotiations on a cooperation agreement with the EU in 1995. The
negotiations were frozen after "Storm", a Croatian military
operation which liberated Croatian areas occupied by the Serbian
aggressor since 1991.
The integration activities plan was drawn up by the government's
Office for European Integration. According to Mintas-Hodak, it is a
strategic government document, which demonstrates the
government's orientation toward a speedier approach to the EU.
The plan is made of four parts - a government work programme, the
current state of preparedness in the political, economic, and
judicial field, and also contains charts showing to what extent
Croatia's judicial system is adjusted with the EU one.
Another component part of the plan is a review of the organisation
of state administrative bodies, while currently being drawn up is
an analysis of the situation in and integration preparedness of the
economy.
Mintas-Hodak said the integration activities plan was the
groundwork for a wide public debate and the first step in the making
of an all-encompassing national integration strategy.
Speaking to reporters after the government session, Premier Matesa
said the government genuinely believes the ruling Croatian
Democratic Union and the Opposition Six party group can reach a
consensus regarding new electoral legislation.
Matesa assessed the latest talks on changes to the Law on Croatian-
Radio Television encouraging.
"I believe it is in the interest of all that those agreements be
reached and that Croatia head for the elections in a peaceful
political climate," he said.
Speaking about a demarche representatives of the international
community handed to Foreign Minister Granic earlier this week,
Matesa said the demarche was a somewhat atypical initiative. "But
we have become used to such initiatives. (The initiative) is only
proof of a constant in that policy towards Croatia."
International representatives point out in the demarche that,
according to Article 45 of the Croatian Constitution, the right to
vote and be elected should be exercised equally by all Croatian
citizens.
Economy Minister Nenad Porges addressed the government on the
economic importance of Croatia's approaching the EU. "The rate at
which we approach the EU will crucially influence viable economic
development, and a maintained growth rate."
According to Justice Minister Zvonimir Separovic, big leaps
forward have been made in adjusting Croatian with EU legislation,
but the process has not yet been completed. With regard to Croatia's
cooperation with The Hague tribunal, the basic starting point will
be a parliamentary resolution on pursuing cooperation, by taking
care of national interests.
By obligating Granic and Mintas-Hodak to present and hand the
integration activities plan to EU representatives, the government
concluded the document should be forwarded to parliament's
Committee for Foreign Affairs.
The plan was drawn up according to the structure of a European
Commission 1995 White Paper on the preparation of associate states
from Central and East Europe for integration with EU's internal
market. The plan also takes into account criteria for membership in
the EU set at a Copenhagen conference in 1993.
(hina) ha/ms jn