It is still an outstanding issue whether Zagreb will manage to send General Ante Gotovina to The Hague, but I would personally be very satisfied to see the start of entry talks with Croatia as soon as possible. Such a signal is necessary for the entire region, Erhard Busek was quoted as saying.
Commenting on speculation that the process of the EU enlargement would be decelerated due to the recent French and Dutch rejection of the European Constitution at referendums, the Austrian said that the integration process and the expansion of the EU had no alternative, particularly if the region wanted peace.
The current crisis in the EU should actually serve as impetus for south-eastern European countries to faster adopt EU standards. If they meet those conditions there will be no more arguments against their admission, he added.