BRUSSELS, March 15 (Hina) - Croatia has received European Union support for its endeavours of the past two weeks to avert a negative course of developments in Bosnia, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said in Brussels on
Thursday.
BRUSSELS, March 15 (Hina) - Croatia has received European Union
support for its endeavours of the past two weeks to avert a negative
course of developments in Bosnia, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula
said in Brussels on Thursday.#L#
He held separate talks with Javier Solana, the EU high
representative for foreign affairs and security, and Christopher
Patten, the European commissioner for foreign affairs.
Picula said Croatia and the EU condemned a recent decision on the
proclamation of Bosnian Croat self-government.
"We support the implementation not only of the regulations of the
Dayton peace accords but also of their spirit," Picula told
reporters, adding the Croatian government was determined to help
the population and new authorities in Bosnia modernise the
country.
Solana said he supported the positions put forward by Picula, and
hoped important decisions would be made at an upcoming meeting of
the Bosnian Croat political leadership, compatible with those of
the international community's high representative in Bosnia.
The reasonable people who want to be part of Bosnia have to act in
line with the Dayton accords, which is the only way to become part of
the European community, said Solana. He thanked the Croatian
government for a constructive position in connection with regional
issues.
Solana and Picula described today's talks as a continuation of
political dialogue between Zagreb and Brussels, and voiced
satisfaction with the good progress of Croatia-EU negotiations on a
Stabilisation and Association Agreement.
The Croatian foreign minister said he disapproved of the way
Bosnia's Croatian Democratic Union party "is imposing one model of
conduct, proposing what is essentially a sustainable Croat self-
government project but one that has not been agreed on with legal
bodies of authority and in cooperation with other politicians in
Bosnia."
Picula said Croatia attempted but failed to convince the Bosnian
Croat political leadership to settle their issues within Bosnian
state institutions. He added the self-government project
"threatens, in a bad turn of events, to isolate Croats in Bosnia,
which in the long run will have an adverse effect, possibly on...
Croatia too."
"Through diplomatic political activities, Croatia tries to
influence all who can help to take part in the normalisation of the
situation in Bosnia," said the minister.
Asked if the Croatian government had concrete proposals for the
further implementation of the Dayton accords in view of ensuring
the equality of Bosnia's three constituent peoples, Picula said
Bosnian Croat representatives should engage in current debates on
amending the constitutions of the two entities, the aim of which is
to implement the decisions Bosnia's Constitutional Court reached
as to the three people's quality of being constitutional throughout
Bosnia's territory.
They should take part in the debates to have their proposals
adopted, Picula said, adding another field in which much could be
done were talks on a permanent electoral law which would also
regulate some relations and facilitate communication in Bosnia.
(hina) ha