Brussels, 30/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - As previously announced (EUROPE 9771), the EU and Croatia completed accession negotiations on the “external relations” chapter on Thursday 30 October. In total, the country has now closed 4 of the 35 chapters that need negotiating. At the end of the meeting in Brussels, Croatia's negotiator-in-chief, Vladimir Drobnjak, criticised the EU for not being able to make more progress in negotiations, “although a much bigger number of chapters was ready to be opened or provisionally closed…we regret that this was not possible due to the lack of consent of one member state in the Council”. This was a reference to Slovenia, which for political and procedural reasons, has not given its green light to opening and closing other chapters that directly or indirectly affect the border dispute between Zagreb and Ljubljana (EUROPE 9771). Mr Drobnjak affirmed that “Croatia has no intention whatsoever of bringing bilateral issues into the accession process and we expect nothing less from the relevant EU member states” including Slovenia.
The Croatian negotiator also asserted that his country was determined to fulfil all the conditions for accession negotiations to be finished by the end of 2009. Its regular report on progress will be published on 5 November and the European Commission will say that Croatia is able to conclude talks in 2009, provided reforms are strictly adhered to (EUROPE 9772). (H.B./transl.rh)