ZAGREB, March 5 (Hina) - German Ambassador to Croatia Gebhardt Weiss said on Friday that Croatia's admission into the EU was a realistic possibility, adding it only remained to be seen when that would happen.
ZAGREB, March 5 (Hina) - German Ambassador to Croatia Gebhardt Weiss
said on Friday that Croatia's admission into the EU was a realistic
possibility, adding it only remained to be seen when that would
happen.#L#
This is not a dream, but something that will become a reality, the
only question is at what pace, Weiss said at the launching of the book
"Croatia's Association with the EU".
He said that one must not dramatize a possible slowing down of the
process, but persist in accomplishing the objective.
Weiss said Croatia had to meet certain criteria before obtaining full
membership adding that the criteria had to be set in such a way that
would ensure that they were met.
Also present at the launching of the book, which deals with Croatia's
institutional adjustment to the EU, was European Integration Minister
Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic.
The minister said Croatia would be ready for full membership in 2007,
stressing that the admission date depended on the other side.
She stressed that institutional changes should be substantial and not
routine so that the European idea could become a part of the citizens'
conscience. The minister reiterated that Croatia's path to the EU must
be individual, but stressed that its neighbouring countries also must
become members because it was the only way to the permanent stability
of the southeast of Europe.
The book "Croatia's Association with the EU", edited by Katarina Ott,
was published by the Institute for Public Finances and the "Friedrich
Ebert" foundation. The book is a collection of papers by Croatian
experts on different phases of the country's association with the EU
and possible problems on that path.
(Hina) it sb