ZAGREB, 9 June (Hina) - The European Union is disappointed with and worried about incidents which happened in Hrvatska Kostajnica and Mostar and it makes the continuation of talks on cooperation with Croatia conditional on Croatia's
respect for the commitments it had taken over, especially those concerning Croatian Serbs and implementation of the Dayton agreement, the European Union Council of Ministers' Chairman Hans van Mierlo said in a letter delivered to the Croatian Foreign Ministry in Zagreb on Monday.
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ZAGREB, 9 June (Hina) - The European Union is disappointed with and
worried about incidents which happened in Hrvatska Kostajnica and Mostar
and it makes the continuation of talks on cooperation with Croatia
conditional on Croatia's respect for the commitments it had taken over,
especially those concerning Croatian Serbs and implementation of the
Dayton agreement, the European Union Council of Ministers' Chairman Hans
van Mierlo said in a letter delivered to the Croatian Foreign Ministry
in Zagreb on Monday. #L#
In the letter, which is an answer to a letter sent to him by the
Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic in May, van Mierlo expressed
satisfaction with Croatia's positive reaction to an EU document on
conditions for its relations with countries in the region.
Van Mierlo also expressed his disappointment with the incidents in
Kostajnica, the victims of which were mainly elderly Serb people.
Recent 'inflammatory' statements by General Jelic in Mostar have
caused concern, considering the importance the EU attaches to Croatia's
support for peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the importance of relations
between the Croats and Muslims in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina,
van Mierlo said.
The European Union will closely watch the fulfilment of Croatia's
obligations concerning Croatian Serbs and Bosnia-Herzegovina, van Mierlo
said.
"We are dissatisfied with the letter because it is not based on all
facts but only singles out two incidents. It is obvious that more
attention is being paid to the incidents than to real progress", a
senior official with the Croatian Foreign Ministry said, commenting on
the basic tone of van Mierlo's letter.
Croatia is not opposing the return of Serb refugees, which is
proved by the fact that the Serbs are returning, the high official said,
adding that the above-mentioned incidents damaged Croatia's reputation
and credibility.
Croatia is fulfilling all special conditions which the European
Union demands of it in its document on relations with countries in the
region, by cooperating with the U.N. Transitional Administration in
Eastern Slavonia, accepting the return of Croatian Serbs, cooperating
with The Hague International Tribunal, supporting the implementation of
the Dayton agreement and opening border crossings to Republika Srpska in
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
According to the Foreign Ministry's official, if one takes into
consideration van Mierlo's reply and the U.S. Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright's stands presented during her recent visit to
Croatia, 'it is obvious that there is an intention to use Croatia as an
instrument in solving problems in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in the wider
region'.
Croatia agrees to play such a role but it is determined to stick to
its strategic goals - an agreement on cooperation with the European
Union and NATO's Partnership for Peace program as well as its admission
to the Central European Free Trade Association (CEFTA) and World Trade
Organisation (WTO), he said.
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