BRUSSELS, Feb 27 (Hina) - The European Union appreciates and supports Croatia's European orientation, holding it an important factor of stability in Europe's south-east, Sweden's Foreign Minister Anna Lindh said on Tuesday.
BRUSSELS, Feb 27 (Hina) - The European Union appreciates and
supports Croatia's European orientation, holding it an important
factor of stability in Europe's south-east, Sweden's Foreign
Minister Anna Lindh said on Tuesday.#L#
Talking to reporters after meeting Croatian counterpart Tonino
Picula in Brussels, Lindh said the EU could see Croatia was
demonstrating an unambiguous European orientation which she added
did and would result in stronger cooperation.
Picula is in Brussels heading a delegation holding the second round
of negotiations with the European Troika on a Croatia-EU
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).
Today's talks tackled the political and economic situation in
Croatia and the course of the negotiations.
Lindh said the EU supported the Croatian government's reformist
direction and the progress it was achieving in the economy despite
difficult circumstances. She was hopeful the SAA negotiations
would be completed soon.
Minister Picula said the EU viewed Croatia as a serious partner and
was genuinely optimistic about its European prospects. He added it
was agreed today Chris Patten, the European commissioner for
foreign affairs, would visit Zagreb on April 5 as a guest at a
Croatian government session.
"It is yet another proof that the EU is seriously counting on
Croatia," Picula said.
(hina) ha