EUROPEAN INTEGRATION MINISTER VISITS LUXEMBOURG, BRITAIN

ZAGREB, May 12 (Hina) - Croatia's European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic visited London on Tuesday and Luxembourg on Wednesday, holding talks on Croatia's position in European Union integration processes, the ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.#L# In Luxembourg, Grabar-Kitarovic met Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Lydia Polfer, who said Luxembourg fully supported Croatia on its road to EU membership. A protocol was signed on Luxembourg's assistance to a EUR100,000 mine clearance project in Croatia. Cooperation was agreed with the European Institute for Public Administration in the preparation of the Croatian government administration for EU membership negotiations and in the judicial reform. In London, Grabar-Kitarovic met Britain's Minister for Europe Denis MacShane, PM Tony Blair's advisor on European affairs Stephen Wall, and the British Foreign Office director for Europe, Kim Darroch. During these meetings it was said Great Britain clearly supported Croatia's expectations of the European Council meeting in June, notably to be granted EU candidate status and to have a date set for the start of accession negotiations. The officials also considered Croatian-British cooperation in Croatia's EU integration. Given that Great Britain is the Croatian European Integration Ministry's principal bilateral partner, Grabar-Kitarovic reiterated the Croatian government was determined to continue meeting EU membership criteria, including full cooperation with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Officials both in Luxembourg and Britain noted that Croatia's EU integration was a motivating factor for reforms in other countries participating in the Stabilisation and Association process. In this context, Grabar-Kitarovic stressed Croatia intended to intensify cooperation with the other countries in Southeast Europe, the press release concluded. (Hina) ha