CROATIAN EDITION OF "AGENDA 2000" PRESENTED IN ZAGREB

( Editorial: --> 6635 ) ZAGREB, May 26 (Hina) - The European Commission document "Agenda 2000", recently translated and published in Croatian, was presented in Zagreb on Tuesday by its publishers - European House Zagreb, European Movement Croatia and the Agency for Development Assistance. "Agenda 2000" is about the reforms of the EU policy, its activities in the new century, the new financial framework as well as the effects of the political expansion of the EU to countries of central and eastern Europe. "We all know about Croatia's aspirations to join the European Union and I think that "Agenda 2000" published in Croatian will help the country because the EU which Croatia wishes to join one day is not the EU which we see today," said the European Commission's special envoy to Croatia Per Vinther presenting the book. He added that the book will help in better understanding the changing aims of the EU by the time Croatia possibly joins the organisation. President of the European Movement Croatia, Slaven Letica, highlighted that the book clearly showed the criteria which countries of central and eastern Europe needed to fulfill to be received. Letica said those criteria had to do with democracy and rule of law, protection of human rights, respect of minorities, market economies and acceptance of the EU's aims and obligations. President of European House Zagreb and editor of "Agenda 2000" Ljubomir Cucic stressed that Croatia did not have a future outside of Europe. (hina) jn mrb/rml 261831 MET may 98