Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw expressed in Luxembourg early Tuesday morning their great satisfaction with the “historical day” of opening the accession negotiations with Croatia.
“Today is a big day for Croatia. I am proud to be here as the prime minister of a country that has just opened the accession negotiations with the EU”, said Prime Minister Sanader at the press conference following the Intergovernmental Bilateral Conference that ceremonially opened the accession negotiations. “This is a historical decision for Croatia”, said Foreign Secretary Straw. AT the conference, held without the members of the press, speeches were held by Prime Minister Sanader and Foreign Secretary Straw. All participants toasted with champagne afterwards. Secretary Straw applauded the Croatian Government’s efforts in realising the full co-operation with the ICTY, thereby enabling the EU Working Group to propose the opening of the negotiations. Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn also expressed his satisfaction. Prime Minister Sanader pointed out the Croatian Government’s determination to continue the full co-operation with the ICTY, emphasizing that it will not forget the neighbouring region. Asked whether the possibility of Croatia entering the EU by 2009 is realistic, which would enable it to take part in June 2009 at the elections for the European Parliament, Commissioner Rehn said that that is a “reasonable date, if all goes well”. Prime Minister Sanader described that as a “desirable goal”, but not a priority. “The priority right now is to conduct the negotiations in a quality manner”, he said. Sanader also dismissed the speculations on the negotiating framework for Turkey coinciding with the Chief Prosecutor’s giving a positive evaluation on Croatia’s co-operation with the ICTY. The speculations have it that Austria gave in on Turkey only when Croatia was given the green light. The Prime Minister called an extraordinary session of the Croatian Government for Tuesday that will activate the negotiating teams, an announced a meeting with Ivica Račan, the Head of the Negotiations Monitoring Committee.
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