CROATIAN MINISTER SPEAKS ABOUT CEI ROLE IN EU, NATO EXPANSION

OHRID, June 26 (Hina) - Croatia believes the European Union and NATO enlargement process must stay open for all states sharing democratic principles, based on the Rome and Washington charter, and the Central European Initiative (CEI) has to continue advocating this, Croatia's chief of diplomacy said on Wednesday. #L# Speaking at a CEI ministerial conference in the Macedonian lakeside resort of Ohrid, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said the CEI member countries could play a crucial role in the stabilisation and normalisation of relations in the region by supporting political processes and individually approaching the region's countries in their bids to integrate into Euro-Atlantic institutions. Picula said Croatia would continue implementing its Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU and officially apply for membership in the Union next year. Speaking about relations with neighbours, Picula said Croatia applauded Bosnia-Herzegovina's membership in the Council of Europe. He stressed Zagreb "strongly supported the constitutional changes in the neighbouring state" and expected "the three constituent peoples (in Bosnia) will enjoy equal rights." Zagreb is also satisfied with the normalisation of the Yugoslav situation. Picula said Croatian-Yugoslav relations "are moving on from the stage of normalisation and approaching the building of good neighbourly relations. The travel regime is being liberalised, and the two countries are cooperating in the drawing up of a free trade agreement." The one-day CEI ministerial conference in Ohrid has pooled representatives of 17 CEI members, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development. (hina) ha sb