ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - The European Union expects, as an important pre-condition for the improvement of relations with Croatia, that a future Croatian Government treat Bosnia-Herzegovina just as other countries as well as to advise
Bosnian Croats to solve their problems in Sarajevo, said Janko Vranyczany-Dobrinovic, the head of Croatia's mission to the EU in Brussels. The EU is looking forward to it, the Croatian diplomat told Hina on the phone on Thursday, answering the question about the EU stand toward Croatia in the run-up to the parliamentary election. Vranyczany-Dobrinovic said the EU maintains that a new Croatian government, regardless of who constitutes it, must conduct a changed policy and these changes will lead toward the improvement of the EU-Croatian relations. Vranyczany-Dobrinovic added that the EU wanted from Croatia to be actively engaged in the implementation o
ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - The European Union expects, as an important
pre-condition for the improvement of relations with Croatia, that a
future Croatian Government treat Bosnia-Herzegovina just as other
countries as well as to advise Bosnian Croats to solve their
problems in Sarajevo, said Janko Vranyczany-Dobrinovic, the head
of Croatia's mission to the EU in Brussels.
The EU is looking forward to it, the Croatian diplomat told Hina on
the phone on Thursday, answering the question about the EU stand
toward Croatia in the run-up to the parliamentary election.
Vranyczany-Dobrinovic said the EU maintains that a new Croatian
government, regardless of who constitutes it, must conduct a
changed policy and these changes will lead toward the improvement
of the EU-Croatian relations.
Vranyczany-Dobrinovic added that the EU wanted from Croatia to be
actively engaged in the implementation of the Dayton Accords in
Bosnia sand simultaneously direct Bosnian Croats to solve their
problems in Sarajevo rather than leaning on Zagreb.
The EU would like that Croatia treat Bosnia just as any other
country rather than giving it a privileged status, he said adding
that they (EU) do not want Zagreb to give directions to the so-
called Herzeg-Bosnia or Herzegovina.
According to him, the EU just as the United States, wants a more
prominent role of Croatia in the implementation of the Dayton
Accords which is undergoing a crisis.
The EU wants stronger economic engagement from Croatia in Bosnia
but not political and military one, the Croatian diplomat
explained.
Only the fulfilment of this condition can help improve the EU-
Croatian ties, Vranyczany-Dobrinovic said adding the EU would wait
and see whether a new government really begins to meet that
condition.
The EU also expects that confidence be created for enabling
Croatian Serbs to return in a speedier manner who want to come
back.
Asked by Hina whether the EU would like that the opposition in
Croatia may come to power, Vranyczany-Dobrinovic answered that
socialists are in power in most EU member-states, and they show
openly a liking to a new government in Zagreb constituted from the
current opposition, but some countries, for instance Italy and
Spain, do not favour much interference in Croatian politics and
what they only ask for is a pro-European policy no matter who will be
in the new government.
Vranyczany-Dobrinovic believes that the EU will await first moves
of the new government and after that it will possibly further
relations if the aforementioned conditions have been met.
The EU Council of Ministers on Monday called on the EU Commission to
propose an improved regime of trade benefits for Croatia for next
year.
This improvement would mean that the EU approaches individually
Croatia and adjusts to its economy. To date, the EU has treated
countries established in the area of the former Yugoslavia in a
package and given them equal trade preference.
(hina) mm ms