ZAGREB, Feb 9 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian Mission to the European Union (EU), Janko Vranyczany-Dobrinovic, on Tuesday told Hina the European Commission (EC) wished to enable Croatia to have a special path within the regional
approach. The last months have witnessed rumours in diplomatic circles in Brussels and Zagreb saying the EU is changing its relation towards Croatia. "There is a wish to enable Croatia to have a special path within the regional approach," Vranyczany-Dobrinovic told Hina confirming the rumours. He said the EC wished to warm up Croatian-EU relations with a long-term goal of strengthening cooperation, and in the short-term wished to assist Croatia in overcoming current economic difficulties. "We realised the regional approach might be too narrow for Croatia and that it limits room for EU's cooperation with Croatia. At the moment they primarily wish to strengthen
ZAGREB, Feb 9 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian Mission to the
European Union (EU), Janko Vranyczany-Dobrinovic, on Tuesday told
Hina the European Commission (EC) wished to enable Croatia to have a
special path within the regional approach.
The last months have witnessed rumours in diplomatic circles in
Brussels and Zagreb saying the EU is changing its relation towards
Croatia.
"There is a wish to enable Croatia to have a special path within the
regional approach," Vranyczany-Dobrinovic told Hina confirming
the rumours.
He said the EC wished to warm up Croatian-EU relations with a long-
term goal of strengthening cooperation, and in the short-term
wished to assist Croatia in overcoming current economic
difficulties.
"We realised the regional approach might be too narrow for Croatia
and that it limits room for EU's cooperation with Croatia. At the
moment they primarily wish to strengthen economic cooperation and
not politicise these changes in relations towards Croatia,"
Vranyczany-Dobrinovic said.
"The EU won't change the regional approach, but expand it," he
added.
On the eve of a EU Commission for the Western Balkans meeting on
Monday, Croatian press reported announcements that the EU will
grant Croatia financial assistance as some sort of replacement for
the PHARE programme.
Vranyczany-Dobrinovic said the said meeting only marginally
discussed Croatia, but added it was possible that a future session
might discuss a new form of cooperation with Croatia.
EU's assistance would consist in support to Croatian
infrastructure projects, mainly as continuation of a conference on
Croatia's reconstruction and development, held last year.
Vranyczany-Dobrinovic said in its new approach to Croatia, the EU
was also considering the latest instability in the east of the
region. He added he was aware in the pre-electoral period Croatia
had problems in fully complying with EU's conditions.
(hina) ha mm