BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Hina) - Croatia has made significant progress in meeting political criteria which are necessary for the start of negotiations on its full membership in the European Union, European Commission President Romano Prodi
said after talks with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic in Brussels on Wednesday.
BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Hina) - Croatia has made significant progress in
meeting political criteria which are necessary for the start of
negotiations on its full membership in the European Union, European
Commission President Romano Prodi said after talks with Croatian
President Stjepan Mesic in Brussels on Wednesday.#L#
The EC's cooperation with the new Croatian government is equally good
as its cooperation with the previous government, which proves that the
EC cooperates with Croatia as a state, regardless of which party may
be in power, Prodi said.
The EC president said that one of the most important areas where
Croatia was expected to make more progress was cooperation with the
UN war crimes tribunal.
He said that he had received assurances that the Croatian government
would take action in that area and that he expected results, as
concrete action would doubtlessly improve Croatia's chance of
obtaining a positive response to its membership application from the
EC. Prodi added that the EC was working on the avis, which it was
expected to make public in spring.
Asked what the avis would be like if Croatia did make progress in
cooperation with the tribunal but without resolving the case of the
runaway general Ante Gotovina, Prodi said this did not depend on the
EC, which was closely cooperating with The Hague and expected
information from it on the degree of Croatia's cooperation in the
Gotovina case.
Croatia's success is important for the entire region of South-East
Europe and the EC welcomes every action Croatia is taking to improve
the spirit of cooperation, Prodi said.
Croatia is aware that it should complete the process of refugee return
and property restitution and implement the judicial reform as soon as
possible, President Stjepan Mesic said. Cooperation with the Hague
tribunal is particularly important, because Croatia wants guilt to be
individualised, he added.
Mesic will continue his visit to Brussels with a meeting with
representatives of the Belgian-Croatian Chamber for Economic
Cooperation and Cultural Promotion. This evening he will meet the
mayor of Brussels.
On Thursday Mesic will meet European Parliament President Pat Cox and
address parliamentary deputies.
(Hina) rml