ZAGREB, Nov 22 (Hina) - Opening negotiations on an Association and Stabilisation Agreement at the Zagreb Summit is Croatia's first step toward its final goal - admission to the European Union, which, along with many other aspects, is
conditional on the resolution of problems with neighbouring countries. Croatia's relations with Italy and Hungary are not burdened by any major problems, but open questions, of which some are far from a solution, do exist in relations with Slovenia, Yugoslavia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Although relations between Croatia and Slovenia are good, there has been almost no progress for years as regards the key moot points - Piran Bay, the Krsko nuclear power plant, and the old savings of Croatian depositors at Ljubljanska Banka. One of the main problems is the need of coalition-building in Slovenia due to the insufficient strength of individual parties in the Slovene parlia
ZAGREB, Nov 22 (Hina) - Opening negotiations on an Association and
Stabilisation Agreement at the Zagreb Summit is Croatia's first
step toward its final goal - admission to the European Union, which,
along with many other aspects, is conditional on the resolution of
problems with neighbouring countries.
Croatia's relations with Italy and Hungary are not burdened by any
major problems, but open questions, of which some are far from a
solution, do exist in relations with Slovenia, Yugoslavia, and
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Although relations between Croatia and Slovenia are good, there has
been almost no progress for years as regards the key moot points -
Piran Bay, the Krsko nuclear power plant, and the old savings of
Croatian depositors at Ljubljanska Banka.
One of the main problems is the need of coalition-building in
Slovenia due to the insufficient strength of individual parties in
the Slovene parliament. Accordingly, no coalition government wants
to make a decision on relations with Croatia which would be even
slightly uncomfortable, let alone agree only on access to the open
sea, without obtaining territorial waters in Piran Bay.
Due to the failure to reach an agreement on these crucial problems
and Slovenia's insistence that problems be resolved in a package,
agreements on property-rights relations and trans-border traffic
have not been signed yet, although they were agreed on in principle
a long time ago.
The resolution of those problems could nevertheless be accelerated
by a European Union request that candidate-countries solve
problems they have with their neighbours before their admission.
The EU has made a clear request that Slovenia reach an agreement
with Croatia on borders, the Krsko power plant, and Ljubljanska
Banka.
Despite the difficult and long-lasting consequences of the war
Yugoslavia imposed on Croatia, relations with Yugoslavia are
becoming clearer after the October fall of Milosevic's regime and
first political and economic contacts have been already
established. One of the first normalisation conditions will be an
apology to the Croatian people, which the new Yugoslav president
Vojislav Kostunica, like Montenegro's Djukanovic, is expected to
make as soon as possible, probably at the Zagreb Summit already.
The list of problems is long and their solution is likely to last for
years. Yugoslavia's admission to the U.N. and OSCE as a new member
and the country's admission that it is not the sole successor-state
to the former Yugoslavia has broken the impasse in the issue of
succession. Important open questions concern war reparations,
shedding light on the fate of missing and imprisoned persons, the
recognition of the Croat minority in Serbia and its being granted
the same rights Serbs enjoy in Croatia.
As regards the issue of Prevlaka, Croatia expects a solution to be
found soon as well as U.N. observers on the peninsula to withdraw
despite statements by some Serbian politicians. The biggest
obstacle to resolving this problem could be the development of
relations between Serbia and Montenegro.
The problem which will be most difficult to solve is the issue of
Croatian Serb refugees in Yugoslavia, whose return Yugoslavia is
insisting on and treating as the absolute priority. So far, only
20,000 return requests have been submitted and Belgrade speaks of
300,000 Croatian Serb refugees. This problem is expected to be the
crucial issue and a test for both sides.
Relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina are relatively clear and they
have improved in many aspects since the change of authority in
Croatia, particularly as regards the establishment of contacts
with the central BH authorities.
Cooperation on some agreements has been intensified, such as a
trade agreement, which is fully harmonised and could be signed at
the Zagreb Summit already, as well as an agreement on property-
rights relations, which is still being discussed in the segment
regarding the reciprocal right to purchase real estate and the
issue of refugees occupying other people's houses.
The issue of borders is regulated with an existing agreement,
however, that agreement will be ratified only after detailed land
maps are drawn up and other disputes resolved (the old town
Kostajnica, islands near Neum), a process which could last several
years. The two sides are currently working on regulating the
problem of border crossings.
The biggest potential problem in Croatia-Bosnia-Herzegovina
relations, which are continually improving, could be the
relationship toward BH Croats, especially in the light of recent
tensions caused by the suspension of 13 newly-elected Bosnian
Croatian Democratic Union deputies. The Croatian government has
issued a statement calling on both sides to find a way to stop the
escalation of the dispute. If this is not done, a difficult
situation could occur, and Croatia, due to its constitutional and
Dayton obligations, could probably not avoid being involved.
Refugees will be the problem which will determine relations between
the two states the longest, but there is a mutual wish to resolve
that problem and the two countries have agreed to prepare a special
agreement regulating all return issues, especially the return
dynamics.
(hina) rml