DEP. FOREIGN MINISTER HANDS CROATIA'S RESPONSE TO EU SPEAKING NOTE

ZAGREB, Nov 5 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivo Sanader on Friday submitted the Croatian Government's response to a Speaking Note by the European Union to representatives of the EU Troika, ambassadors of Finland and Portugal, as well as a representative of the European Commission, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday. The reply to the EU Speaking Note primarily involves the issue of elections and cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Sanader stressed that the Croatian Government applauded the interest of the EU member states for the political situation in Croatia, which he holds as justified, and has reviewed the stances of the European Union in detail and seriously. Sanader reiterated the need for Croatia to begin talks with the EU about the Agreement on Stabilisation and accession for an expedited intensification of these processes, and stressed, on behalf of the Croatian Government, that it held this response as a completion of talks about the above mentioned issues, the statement said. Sanader also stressed that it was Croatia's "strategic goal to access Euro-Atlantic associations and in this sense continues in its wish for a constructive and transparent dialogue with the EU". Sanader said Croatia was "aware of the need for fulfilling Copenhagen and Amsterdam criteria for access into the Union," the statement said. He added that they "in the greatest measure agreed with Croatia's goals of forming a modern democratic society in line with the highest European standards," the statement continued. "In this light especially important are elections as the highest institute of democracy and the Croatian Government, as well as the Croatian people, are taking them with utter seriousness. We thus hold it important that the European Union, as other international factors, should maintain a balanced approach during the electoral campaign," the statement said. (hina) lml