VIENNA VIENNA, Feb 15 (Hina) - Ahead of his visit to Vienna, where he will present Croatia's ambitious plan to join the EU by 2007, Croatian Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul gave an interview to the Austrian news agency APA, which
published it on Sunday.
VIENNA, Feb 15 (Hina) - Ahead of his visit to Vienna, where he will
present Croatia's ambitious plan to join the EU by 2007, Croatian
Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul gave an interview to the Austrian news
agency APA, which published it on Sunday.#L#
Zuzul said he was confident that Croatia would be ready to join the EU
in the next three years.
He believes that it is realistic to expect the European Commission to
make public its opinion on Croatia's membership application in March
or April.
The foreign minister will meet his Austrian counterpart Benita Ferrero
Waldner. In the interview, Zuzul commended Austria's permanent support
to Croatia, adding that it was the support of neighbouring countries
like Austria, Slovenia and Hungary that was very important to the
authorities in Zagreb.
Commenting on cooperation with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague,
Zuzul said that his government would step up efforts to continue the
cooperation.
Zuzul described relations between Vienna and Zagreb as very good.
There are no outstanding issues between the two countries and Austria
is Croatia's most important trade partner, he said.
The minister said that a Croatian state delegation would pay an
official visit to Vienna in a week's time.
The interview was also carried by the German agency DPA.
(Hina) rml