ZAGREB, Nov 6 (Hina) - Premier Ivica Racan has said that a statement of the European Commission's Ambassador to Zagreb that Croatia should freeze its request for the full European Union membership until the resolution of the "Bobetko
case", is obviously a part of the trend of pressure being exerted on Croatia, and the pressure is probably, as Racan said, based on the assessment that Croatia is not cooperating with the Hague-based Tribunal.
ZAGREB, Nov 6 (Hina) - Premier Ivica Racan has said that a statement
of the European Commission's Ambassador to Zagreb that Croatia
should freeze its request for the full European Union membership
until the resolution of the "Bobetko case", is obviously a part of
the trend of pressure being exerted on Croatia, and the pressure is
probably, as Racan said, based on the assessment that Croatia is not
cooperating with the Hague-based Tribunal. #L#
The EC Ambassador to Croatia (Jacques Wunnenburger) has the right
to advise Croatia, we shall always accept advice from friends,
Racan said on Wednesday refuting the allegation that Croatia did
not cooperate with the ICTY, i.e. that it cooperated only because of
the international pressure.
The government is intending to solve open issues with the Hague-
based Tribunal through cooperation with that court (International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia), Racan said during
question time in parliament when he was asked by a Social Democrat
deputy, Marin Jurjevic, to comment on yesterday's statement of the
EC diplomat.
PM dismissed claims of some politicians that there was no danger of
sanctions to be imposed on Croatia.
Croatia is already being faced with some creeping sanctions, Racan
said corroborating his statement with the fact that some business
activities with the world were being conducted under more difficult
financial conditions.
On Tuesday, the EC Ambassador to Croatia Wunnenburger said he did
not expect any positive statements about Croatia's application for
the full EU membership before the resolution of the Bobetko case.
The Croatian Government is in principle for cooperation, but the
impression remains that it is doing so only because of
international pressure, Wunnenburger said, adding that this
implied that Croatia had not yet adopted European standards.
(hina) ms sb