LONDON, Dec 14 (Hina) - London daily "The Independent" on Tuesday published an editor's columns which read that after the death of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, it was time that the European Union opened the door to Croatia.
Writing about reasons of senior international officials' absence at the funeral of the late Croatian President, "The Independent" said that the world was more relieved than saddened by the President Tudjman's passing away. According to the Independent, the reason for such behaviour of world officials "is not just that Tudjman was a strutting autocrat in an age of democracy, or even that he was a constant meddler in the affairs of that proverbial Balkan tinderbox, Bosnia". "The world held Croatia's first president at least partly responsible for the collapse of the Yugoslav federation that Tito had so painfully constructed. Most of the big powers - Britain and Fr
LONDON, Dec 14 (Hina) - London daily "The Independent" on Tuesday
published an editor's columns which read that after the death of
Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, it was time that the European
Union opened the door to Croatia.
Writing about reasons of senior international officials' absence
at the funeral of the late Croatian President, "The Independent"
said that the world was more relieved than saddened by the President
Tudjman's passing away.
According to the Independent, the reason for such behaviour of
world officials "is not just that Tudjman was a strutting autocrat
in an age of democracy, or even that he was a constant meddler in the
affairs of that proverbial Balkan tinderbox, Bosnia".
"The world held Croatia's first president at least partly
responsible for the collapse of the Yugoslav federation that Tito
had so painfully constructed. Most of the big powers - Britain and
France among them never wanted to see an independent Croatia", read
"The Independent".
After they recognised Croatia's independence, they kept Tudjman at
arm's length, read the paper.
"Tudjman successor must find a way to end Croatia's estrangement
from her neighbours", "The Independent" read.
"The Independent" believes that it is Europe's responsibility to
help Croatia to come in from the cold, and European leaders must
dispel the lingering impression among Croats that they still
disapprove of Croat independence.
"It would be absurd for a country on the crossroads between the
Balkans, Central Europe and the Mediterranean to remain outside the
European Union for much longer. If Brussels can say yes to Turkey,
with all that country's economic and human right problems, it ought
certainly to say the same to Croatia", "The Independent"
concluded.
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