WASHINGTON, Jan 21(Hina) - Croatian Parliament President Vladimir Seks and Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul met members of the US Congress and Senate in Washington on Tuesday to discuss Croatia's admission into NATO. Minister Zuzul said
after the talks they had met with understanding for Croatia's ambitions.
WASHINGTON, Jan 21(Hina) - Croatian Parliament President Vladimir Seks
and Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul met members of the US Congress and
Senate in Washington on Tuesday to discuss Croatia's admission into
NATO. Minister Zuzul said after the talks they had met with
understanding for Croatia's ambitions.#L#
The Croatian officials met Congressmen Dan Rohrabacher and George
Radanovich and Senators Jon Kyle and Richard Lugar, who also chairs
the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.
They also met Dan Fried, President George Bush's senior advisor on
Europe at the Council for National Security.
Zuzul told Croatian reporters the meetings were part of efforts to
strengthen relations between Congress and the Croatian parliament and
seek support for Croatia's admission into NATO.
"I believe that we have met with understanding," Zuzul said when asked
about the bid to seek support for Croatia's admission into NATO.
The talks did not contain any critical tones on the part of US
officials, they focused on general conditions Croatia must meet to be
admitted into NATO, such as development of democracy, civilian control
of the army, and the treatment of minorities, Zuzul said.
Also discussed were specific conditions, but less than in talks with
the European Union, he added.
"I believe that our hosts are aware of Croatia's determination to go
in that direction and our commitment to seek support when we deserve
it, and we believe that we do," he said.
A lobbying group called Livingston Group organised a reception in
honour of the Croatian officials, which was also attended by several
members of Congress.
Doug Bereuter, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on Europe of the
Committee on International Relations of the House of Representatives
and Chairman of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, told reporters that
Croatia was moving in the right direction towards NATO.
Asked when Croatia could join the Alliance, Bereuter said Croatia
could be one of the leading candidates in the next enlargement round
if it continued making progress.
He said that in the next few months he would visit Croatia as Chairman
of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to see how Croatia was doing in
meeting membership criteria.
Congresswoman Janice Schakowsky of Chicago said she would support
Croatia's NATO bid.
Former US Secretary of Commerce Mickey Kantor said Croatia had
strongly supported the United States in the joint fight against
terrorism after the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 and it now
expected strong support for its efforts to join NATO.
Charles English, director of the Office for Central and South Europe
of the State Department, which also covers Croatia, said the United
States wanted to help Croatia meet criteria for membership in NATO and
the European Union.
He said Croatia still had to do some things regarding the resolution
of problems of the post-war period and cooperation with the UN war
crimes tribunal.
The US Administration is confident that the new government of Prime
Minister Sanader will have the political will to do this and is
looking forward to cooperation with it, English said.
(Hina) rml