CROATIA SUPPORTED IN RENEWING NEGOTIATIONS ON COOPERATION WITH EU

COPENHAGEN, Dec 19 (Hina) - Croatia is getting support of an increasing number of West European countries in reopening negotiations on a cooperation agreement with the European Union, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said after a number of bilateral talks during an OSCE ministerial session in Copenhagen on Friday. "I can say we are getting support from an increasing number of countries," Granic said, citing as examples Austria, Germany, Greece, Italy and Denmark. Croatia intends to officially request of Brussels the reopening of negotiations on cooperation with the EU, after the completion of the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area, opening of negotiations on cooperation with Bosnia-Herzegovina on the use of the Croatian port of Ploce by the Bosnian Federation and the uninterrupted passage through Bosnian Federation's Neum in the central Adriatic. Granic said he expected this by the end of February or beginning of March next year. "We consider the reopening of negotiations (on cooperation with the EU) to be our main strategic goal regarding Euro-Atlantic integrations," Granic said. (hina) lm jn 191210 MET dec 97