BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA & EU TO SIGN AGREEMENT ON SPECIAL RELATIONS - PRLIC

- PRLIC ( Editorial: --> 9307 ) BRIJUNI, June 6 (Hina) - The European Union and Bosnia-Herzegovina will sign a statement on special relations and start preparations for the country's admission to the EU, Bosnia's Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic told reporters on Friday. Prlic is attending a ministerial meeting of the Central European Initiative (CEI) which started on the northern Adriatic island of Brijuni yesterday. The statement, confirming the existing level of relations between Bosnia-Herzegovina and EU, will be signed on June 8 at a meeting of the Council for Implementation of the Dayton Accords in Luxembourg. Bosnia-Herzegovina has started responding to EU requests set within the framework of its regional approach as well as to the requirements of the international community concerning the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement, Prlic said. That is why the EU has estimated that its relations with Bosnia have reached a point when they can be improved, Prlic said. The statement on special relations does not mean the beginning of talks on contractual relations, Prlic said adding the document envisages the establishment of a joint expert commission which will as of June 10 start working on overall legal and economic preparations for Bosnia's admission to the EU. The decision on establishing special relations means that Bosnia has decided on the EU as its final goal, Prlic said. "I believe the EU too has decided to grant a long-term membership to Bosnia-Herzegovina," he added. The fact that Bosnia-Herzegovina is the first country from the region to be approaching its admission to the EU is very important, Prlic said adding he believed Croatia and Yugoslavia too would get the same chance. (hina) rml 061113 MET jun 98