Post by Tom1 on Apr 20, 2004 12:16:40 GMT 1
EU green light for Croatia
Ian Traynor in Zagreb
Tuesday April 20, 2004
The Guardian
Croatia is to get a green light from the European commission today for its ambitions to join the EU after Britain abandoned months of blocking its attempt because of Zagreb's defiance of the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
The commission is to report positively to the European parliament on the Croatian application. An EU summit in June is then expected to offer membership talks.
"The British government hopes to see Croatia as a member of the EU before the decade is out," said Denis MacShane, the minister for Europe, yesterday. He had been in Zagreb to meet the prime minister, Ivo Sanader.
Britain has been the main block on Croatia's EU ambitions because Zagreb has failed to capture and hand over General Ante Gotovina, wanted in The Hague for alleged war crimes against Serbs in 1995. He has been on the run for three years.
But since being elected in November, Mr Sanader has confounded those who expected him to act slowly on the sensitive question of war crimes, overseeing the transfer of eight suspects to The Hague.
Mr MacShane said: "Gotovina no longer remains an obstacle to saying Croatia can start accession talks."
Ian Traynor in Zagreb
Tuesday April 20, 2004
The Guardian
Croatia is to get a green light from the European commission today for its ambitions to join the EU after Britain abandoned months of blocking its attempt because of Zagreb's defiance of the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
The commission is to report positively to the European parliament on the Croatian application. An EU summit in June is then expected to offer membership talks.
"The British government hopes to see Croatia as a member of the EU before the decade is out," said Denis MacShane, the minister for Europe, yesterday. He had been in Zagreb to meet the prime minister, Ivo Sanader.
Britain has been the main block on Croatia's EU ambitions because Zagreb has failed to capture and hand over General Ante Gotovina, wanted in The Hague for alleged war crimes against Serbs in 1995. He has been on the run for three years.
But since being elected in November, Mr Sanader has confounded those who expected him to act slowly on the sensitive question of war crimes, overseeing the transfer of eight suspects to The Hague.
Mr MacShane said: "Gotovina no longer remains an obstacle to saying Croatia can start accession talks."
