Brussels, 11/05/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Union and Croatia will be initialed on Monday on the fringe of the General Affairs Council. On Friday, the Commission stressed the "record time" of six months for negotiations over this agreement which, like the first Stabilization and Association Agreement, signed early April with Macedonia, comprises political clauses: democracy, respect of human rights and minority rights, regional cooperation… and trade clauses granted by the European Union, with the long-term prospect of a free-trade agreement. Negotiations were still going on on Friday over some of the agricultural products concerned by the agreement, but the Commission considered that discussions would certainly be over by Monday. The Stabilization and Association Agreement will be signed in a few months, at the same time as an interim agreement on trade, which will quickly take effect, while waiting for the overall agreement to be ratified.