ZAGREB, Oct 19 (Hina) - Ahead of a debate on the Stability Pact for South-East Europe, Croatia's Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Tuesday informed the House of Counties about the Pact's goals, with emphasis on what Croatia can expect
from the Pact and what it should oppose.
ZAGREB, Oct 19 (Hina) - Ahead of a debate on the Stability Pact for
South-East Europe, Croatia's Foreign Minister Mate Granic on
Tuesday informed the House of Counties about the Pact's goals, with
emphasis on what Croatia can expect from the Pact and what it should
oppose. #L#
The Pact is not an international organisation and it has no
membership; it is not an international agreement and is not signed.
However, it is "an expression of the political will of its member-
countries, it is a political process of joint voluntary activities
aimed at stabilising the area of South-East Europe and integrating
the countries of the region, on an individual basis and according to
their individual interests, into Euro-Atlantic associations".
Croatia has participated in the Pact from the very beginning as a
full member, because it has recognised conditions from which it can
benefit: to be able to participate as a country-generator of
stability in the region, and at the same time to develop a profile of
a country whose accession to the European Union can be
accelerated.
Granic emphasised that the Pact and its principles were directly
linked with the EU, and the Pact itself included a sentence saying
it would provide help in the process of integration into Euro-
Atlantic structures.
Participation in the Pact is also one of the conditions for speedier
accession to the Partnership for Peace and NATO, he added.
"Not to participate in the Pact would mean to associate oneself with
Milosevic and Serbia and miss the opportunity of active
participation in the interest of one's own future", Granic said.
Croatia is however also aware of the traps which could lead it on the
path of return into regional associations, which Croatia finds
unacceptable, the Foreign Minister said. He added that there were
statements, coming even from the European Commission, that it was
necessary to respect a firm regional approach for countries south
of Slovenia, including Albania.
Understandably, Croatia strongly opposes such an approach and it
pays special attention to the potential dangers which could move it
further from its goal: its integration into European and Euro-
Atlantic associations as soon as possible, the Minister said.
He also spoke about the mechanism for implementing the Pact, which
is being realised through a regional board which is divided into
three boards: on democracy, economy, and security. The first
meetings of the three boards, which took place this month, have
started this mechanism.
On January 1, 2001, Croatia will take over the co-chairmanship of
the security board, Granic said, adding the member-countries would
chair the boards in alphabetical order.
Closing his report, Granic said Croatia was "by no means entering
the Pact blindly, but it is following the stands of the main
international factors and other member-countries in a collected
and careful manner, through a prism of its own interests".
"This enables realistic, complete, and flexible relations toward
the Pact, which is not based nor will it ever be based on false
premises", Granic said. Those false premises, he said, would be new
south-east or Balkan associations. There have been no indications
as to that effect at the meetings held so far, he added.
(hina) jn rml