Minister Picula received Mr. Antoin Mac Unfraidh, the head of the ECMM to Croatia...

On 7 July 2003, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, Tonino Picula, received the head of the EC Monitoring Mission to Croatia, Antoin Mac Unfraidh, in a farewell visit. ECMM is active in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia-Montenegro. The central office of the ECMM, headed by Ambassador Antoin Mac Unfraidh since April 2001, is in Sarajevo, while in Croatia the there is the main office in Zagreb and regional offices in Knin and Vukovar.

The main task of ECMM is to monitor the political and security situation; monitoring borders, tracking the development of inter-ethnic relations, and return of refugees; preparing analytical reports; early warning of the Council, as well as confidence building, all in the context of the regional implementation of the Process of Stabilisation and Association with the EU.

It was jointly noted that in the two and a half years of Mr Mac Unfraidh's term in office, a significant progress has been achieved in all states of the region, though to a differing extent, and Croatia proved to be the most successful. The need for further strengthening of cooperation in the region was stressed. Mr. Mac Unfraidh wished Croatia every success on its way to the EU, announcing that the decision about the appointment of a new head of EC Monitoring Mission will be taken in Brussels in July 2003. Mr. Mac Unfraidh thanked Minister Picula for the excellent cooperation which he and his deputy, Head of Mission to Croatia, Mr Hans Ewe, had with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Finally, Minister Picula expressed the expectation that owing to the progress Croatia achieved in all areas the activities of all monitoring mission to Croatia will soon come to a close.

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