Brussels, 12/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday the European Commission announced that the Commission President Romano Prodi after his visit to Romania and Bulgaria, which has just started, will stop, this Friday evening in Zagreb (Croatia) where he will meet, among others, the President of the Croatian Parliament (acting as President of the country, while awaiting the upcoming Presidential elections) as well as the leader of the Croatian Social Democrats Ivica Racan who will most probably be the new Prime Minister. According to an EU spokesperson that this visit by Mr Prodi recognises the meaning of the political change for which the Croatian people opted during the recent general elections and which should lead, "without doubt towards a new phase" in EU/Croatian relations.
According to his spokesperson, Chris Patten, the Commissioner responsible for external relations, should also go to Zagreb 'as soon as the new government will by installed.