LONDON, Oct 21 (Hina) - The heads of Croatia's leading opposition coalition of the Social Democratic Party/Croatian Social Liberal Party (SDP-HSLS), Ivica Racan and Drazen Budisa, who are visiting Great Britain, on Wednesday
criticised the idea of establishing a customs union with Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Albania as the first step toward Croatia's joining the European Union. Speaking at a seminar on Croatia, held at the London Royal Institute of International Affairs last night, Racan and Budisa presented their vision of Croatia's future.
LONDON, Oct 21 (Hina) - The heads of Croatia's leading opposition
coalition of the Social Democratic Party/Croatian Social Liberal
Party (SDP-HSLS), Ivica Racan and Drazen Budisa, who are visiting
Great Britain, on Wednesday criticised the idea of establishing a
customs union with Bosnia, Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Albania as the
first step toward Croatia's joining the European Union.
Speaking at a seminar on Croatia, held at the London Royal Institute
of International Affairs last night, Racan and Budisa presented
their vision of Croatia's future. #L#
"We see no reason why we should have a better cooperation with some
countries, for example Albania, than with Slovenia", HSLS's Budisa
said, commenting on the speech by the European Commission Chairman
Romano Prodi at the European Parliament on October 13.
Speaking about the expansion of the EU, Prodi then said a
precondition for talks on drawing closer to the EU for the above-
mentioned countries (of the "western Balkans") is their
association in a customs union.
Mentioning that Prodi's statement "is based on one part of the
Stability Pact", Budisa stressed he and Racan did not "agree with
the establishment of a separate association within the Stability
Pact of countries of the western Balkans, but rather that all
countries included in the Pact should enjoy equal rights".
"I hope that the idea of the western Balkans will be ignored and that
that part will not be elaborated", said Budisa.
"Our two parties do not support those forms of cooperation which
would lean toward Yugo-integration", said SDP's leader Ivica
Racan.
Britain's Ambassador to Croatia, Colin Munro, who also
participated in the seminar, said statements were often being
misinterpreted in Croatia. He explained to Budisa and Racan that
what Prodi had in mind was improving stability through economic
cooperation.
Munro was however adamant that his government supported the
development of political and economic ties between the former
Yugoslav states and Albania.
Explaining why Slovenia was not included in this "model", Munro
said Slovenia was a member of the Central European Free Trade
Agreement and was connected with the EU through an agreement.
Addressed at the seminar was also the future of Bosnia-Herzegovina
and the Dayton agreement. Budisa said that "those who jeopardise
the current arrangement are creating serious security problems".
However, he assessed that in the long run changes would have to be
made in the peace agreement so that "all three peoples are
constituent on the territory of the whole of Bosnia-Herzegovina".
The HSLS leader said he was convinced that the SDP-HSLS coalition
would win the upcoming elections, with Croatian Democratic Union
(HDZ) president Franjo Tudjman and the president of the state.
He added Croatia faced "cohabitation according to the Croatian
model, for which no one actually knows how it will be realised".
Racan reiterated accusations against the ruling party, adding the
media control "is currently the main political problem in Croatia".
The battle has begun for the Constitutional Court which will have an
important role as an arbiter in disputes between the President of
the State and the Premier, Racan said.
(hina) jn rml