In its draft conclusions the Council of Ministers welcomed the improvement of Croatia's cooperation with the Hague tribunal as stated by the tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, in her latest report to the EU Presidency.
"The Council noted with satisfaction this new element and encourages Croatia to continue to intensify its efforts on this track. It commits itself to continue the examination of this issue in July," the Council of Ministers said in a statement.
The draft conclusions, which EU foreign ministers are expected to adopt on Monday, read that in her letter to the EU Presidency of June 7 chief war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte had pointed to some progress by Zagreb, but that three or four months were needed to see whether these new efforts had produced concrete results.
The Council is expected to reiterate in its conclusions that a bilateral inter-governmental conference on the opening of membership talks will be called as soon as Croatia is found to be fully cooperating with the tribunal.