ZAGREB, April 28 (Hina) - Croatia can consider the issue of completing the ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) by the Netherlands "a done deal", a spokeswoman for the Dutch Foreign Ministry, Carola
Baller, told Hina on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, April 28 (Hina) - Croatia can consider the issue of completing
the ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA)
by the Netherlands "a done deal", a spokeswoman for the Dutch Foreign
Ministry, Carola Baller, told Hina on Wednesday.#L#
We are talking about a period of several weeks, she said. Final steps
are being taken, the spokeswoman added. The only thing left to do is
signing the ratification instrument and sending it to the Council of
the European Union, Baller said.
The Dutch parliament has already ratified the SAA between Croatia and
the European Union, but the process has not been completed because the
government declined to officially inform the Council of the European
Union of the ratification. The government backed its decision by
saying that Croatia did not fully cooperate with the Hague-based UN
war crimes tribunal.
The avis on Croatia's EU membership application, which the European
Commission issued last week, includes a statement by ICTY Chief
Prosecutor Carla del Ponte who said Croatia was fully cooperating with
the tribunal.
The spokeswoman for the Dutch ministry said the latest developments
were not the result of the EC's positive avis. She said the change in
her country's attitude was the result of Croatia's cooperation with
the Hague tribunal, and added that her government expected Croatia to
continue cooperating with the ICTY.
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