Brussels, 10/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - European Commissioner Chris Patten began a visit to Dubrovnik in Croatia on Thursday. He will be in Zagreb on Friday. While the European Council of 17 and 18 June is preparing to act on the follow-up to be given to the European Commission's recommendation to open membership talks with Croatia, Mr Patten is to meet President Stjepan Mesic, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul. Pleased with the good cooperation currently between his country and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the signing, on 4 June, of an agreement in its Italian and Slovene neighbours on the exclusive zone of ecological and fishing protection, Mr Patten is to give his discussion partners confirmation that the Commission is willing to develop a pre-accession strategy for Croatia if, as hoped, the Council shares the analysis. Mr Patten also visited Petrinja, a town that has received aid of EUR 4.33 million in the context of the "European Union programme for reconstruction and returns" that has already helped several Serb and Croat families to return home.