ZAGREB, May 7 (Hina) - Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said on Wednesday Croatia had established itself as a serious partner to the EU over the past three years, and pointed to the importance of Zagreb running an active policy towards
Southeast Europe.
ZAGREB, May 7 (Hina) - Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said on
Wednesday Croatia had established itself as a serious partner to
the EU over the past three years, and pointed to the importance of
Zagreb running an active policy towards Southeast Europe. #L#
Picula made the statement during a lecture on Croatia's foreign
policy at Zagreb's Faculty of Political Science.
"Croatia is perceived (in the European Union) as a country which can
help in the consolidation of the situation in Southeast Europe. The
problems of countries in Southeast Europe will burden us for years,
so our national interest is to actively participate in solving
(them)," Picula said, stressing the importance of individually
evaluating each country's achievements.
Answering a question about Croatia's relations with the United
States in the light of Zagreb's opposition to the use of force in
Iraq without the U.N. Security Council's approval, Picula said
"there is no crisis in relations".
"There certainly is dissatisfaction with Croatia's policy on the
Iraq crisis in some sections of the U.S. administration, but we
cannot say there is a crisis in relations."
Commenting on relations with neighbouring Slovenia and the
servicing of Ljubljanska Bank's debt to Croatian depositors,
Picula said economic and political situation between the two
countries would be better if "Ljubljana took a more fair and more
just stand towards Croatian depositors".
"It appears the Slovene public is becoming increasingly aware of
this too," said the minister.
(hina) ha sb