ZAGREB, Nov 24 (Hina) - The round-table discussion "Civil Society andthe State: Partners in EU Accession Talks?", organised by the NationalFoundation for the Development of Civil Society, the Institute forInternational Relations and
the United Nations Development Programme(UNDP) Office, was held in Zagreb on Thursday, with participantsagreeing that non-governmental organisations should provide"logistical support" in the process of Croatia's accession to the EU.
ZAGREB, Nov 24 (Hina) - The round-table discussion "Civil Society
and the State: Partners in EU Accession Talks?", organised by the National
Foundation for the Development of Civil Society, the Institute for
International Relations and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Office, was held in Zagreb on Thursday, with participants agreeing that
non-governmental organisations should provide "logistical support" in the
process of Croatia's accession to the EU. "Civil society is one of
the important centres of power today and we will try to ensure that this is
respected in Croatia," said the Director of the Institute for International
Relations, Mladen Stancic.
Cvjetana Plavsa-Matic, Director of the National Foundation for the
Development of Civil Society, said that dialogue should be established between
civil society and the State, which she said had embarked on the complex path of
EU entry talks.
UNDP Permanent Representative Yuri Afanasiev noted that a final
decision on Croatia's accession to the EU would be taken by Croatian citizens
and not by the government, and that it was therefore very important to promote
cooperation and keep the public informed about the accession process.
Participants also heard about the experiences of the Czech Republic,
Romania and Slovenia from their talks with the EU.