CROATIA SATISFIED STABILITY PACT WAS PUT INTO EURO-ATLANTIC CONTEXT

ZAGREB, Oct 13 (Hina) - Croatia welcomes the fact that the European Union (EU), the European Commission, and NATO have clearly put the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe in a Euro-Atlantic context, Croatian Assistant Foreign Minister Vladimir Drobnjak told Hina on Wednesday. "We are glad that on this occasion too, the Stability Pact has been put in the clear context of Euro-Atlantic integration," Drobnjak said on the telephone from Brussels at the end of the first day of the pact's security task force conference. The conference is being held in Oslo today and on Thursday, and its work has been divided into two sub-task forces, one for the judiciary and internal affairs, and the other for defence and security. "Today's conference showed the great interests all signatories to the Pact have in an effective implementation of those goals which pertain to security," Drobnjak said. The Stability Pact for Southeast Europe was adopted in Cologne in June with the aim to ensure stability in this region and subsequently integrate the region with the EU and NATO. A regional task force for Southeast Europe was set up to implement the Stability Pact's goals, alongside three other task forces, one for democratisation and human rights, one for economic, and one for security issues. The economy task force held its first conference in Bari, Italy, last week. The task force for democratisation and human rights will have its inaugural session on 18 and 19 October. (hina) ha jn