Brussels, 20/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - Croat Foreign Minister Tonino Picula was in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday for talks with the European troika on relations between the European Union and his country. On that occasion, implementation of the interim stabilisation and association agreement was discussed (the Interim Committee should meet for the first time mid-April), as well as the situation in the Balkans, and Tonino Picula was pleased to note that his country had been recognised a "role model" in the region. You may recall that, on 29 October last, the EU and Croatia signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, as well as an interim agreement to allow the trade provisions of the agreement to take effect while waiting for the agreement as such to be ratified (see EUROPE of 30 October).
In Brussels, the Croat Minister also met, for the first time, the European Commissioner responsible for enlargement, Gunter Verheugen. As all Western Balkan countries, Croatia has the status of "potential candidate" for European Union membership. Although Croatia has hinted that it could "meet the accession criteria in 2006" (see EUROPE of 16 May), and, in the corridors, raises the possibility of submitting its candidacy in 2003, the European Union is for now refusing to speak of dates.