ZAGREB, July 2 (Hina) - Croatia on Wednesday expressed satisfaction with the summit recently held in Thessaloniki that had brought together the leaders of EU countries and five southeast European countries covered by the stabilisation
and association process.
ZAGREB, July 2 (Hina) - Croatia on Wednesday expressed satisfaction
with the summit recently held in Thessaloniki that had brought
together the leaders of EU countries and five southeast European
countries covered by the stabilisation and association process.
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"We can be fully satisfied with the Thessaloniki summit because it
confirmed the individual approach, our application for EU
membership was mentioned and additional aid programmes were
announced," Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said at a joint session
of the parliamentary committees for foreign policy and European
integration.
"Croatia kept a dose of reality in its expectations from the summit,
unlike some of its neighbours who expected to be given candidate
status," the minister said.
Picula said that Croatia would do its utmost to win candidate status
and start membership talks in the first half of next year when
Ireland holds the EU presidency.
Zdravko Tomac, chairman of the Foreign Policy Committee, said that
Croatia should on no account abandon its efforts to enter the EU in
2007.
(hina) vm