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Hoon confirms Britain supports Croatia on road to EU, NATO membership

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ZAGREB, March 26 (Hina) - Croatia has come far in meeting EU and NATO membership criteria, in which Great Britain strongly supports it and wishes to be a strategic partner, British Minister for Europe Geoff Hoon said on Zagreb on Monday.
ZAGREB, March 26 (Hina) - Croatia has come far in meeting EU and NATO membership criteria, in which Great Britain strongly supports it and wishes to be a strategic partner, British Minister for Europe Geoff Hoon said on Zagreb on Monday.

He was speaking to the press after meeting Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic. On a one-day visit to Croatia, Hoon was also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and President Stjepan Mesic.

The United Kingdom strongly supports Croatia on its road to the European Union and NATO, and wishes that it become a member soon. It is only a matter of meeting criteria, but based on the changes I have seen, I admit that Croatia has come far in meeting them, said Hoon.

Great Britain wishes to be Croatia's strategic integration partner and this is the reason we have launched a strategic partnership today that encompasses what we shall do, on the political and practical levels, over the next year, Hoon said presenting a programme on UK-Croatia strategic partnership in 2007-08.

The programme is based on practical cooperation and exchange of data and experiences with a view to preparing Croatia for EU and NATO membership. This programme succeeds the 2005-06 Partnership Plan.

Minister Grabar-Kitarovic told the press that the meeting with Hoon confirmed the new UK-Croatia relations and welcomed the strategic partnership.

She said the programme saw the UK offering Croatia partner cooperation in projects related to judicial reform, state administration, internal affairs, EU accession, trade, education, and border supervision. She added that any assistance from Great Britain was welcome.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration said in a statement that Grabar-Kitarovic and Hoon had confirmed that relations between the two countries were excellent and that they expected them to intensify, economically and politically.

The ministry recalled that Croatia and Great Britain had signed 23 agreements so far as well as 13 which Croatia inherited as one of the successors to the former Yugoslavia.

Grabar-Kitarovic said trade in 2006 had amounted to USD600 million, up 27% from the year before.

She thanked Great Britain for its assistance programmes so far, adding that aid envisaged by the strategic partnership would amount to EUR1.4 million per year.

She said Britain would account for 17.5% of EU preaccession funds at Croatia's disposal, providing about EUR25 million per year through IPA funds in the 2007-09 period.

The strategic partnership also envisages the continuation of cooperation in defence, which is of paramount importance given that next year Croatia expects to be invited to start NATO accession negotiations, said Grabar-Kitarovic.

Hoon said he had been personally involved in the cooperation of Croatian and British troops, adding that the British appreciated Croatia's contribution in Afghanistan. He expected Croatia to join NATO soon, saying that Britain would provide a warm welcome.

Hoon said Croatian-British relations had never been better and voiced confidence that the strategic partnership would help them to intensify and switch to multilateral relations within the EU and NATO.

Great Britain attaches great importance to Croatia as a model country for progress in this region. We want a stable and progressive Southeast Europe with Croatia as the leader, he said.

The Foreign Ministry said Grabar-Kitarovic had told Hoon that participation in peace missions was a long term priority for the Croatian government, and informed him that parliament had decided to raise the number of troops in Afghanistan from 200 this year to 300 in 2008.

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