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Croatia could complete EU membership talks next year: official
AFP - Saturday, December 20
BRUSSELS (AFP) - - Croatia could complete its European Union membership talks next year, despite a Slovenian veto which is slowing progress, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said Friday.
Croatia is widely expected to become the next and 28th EU member state as its progress since talks began in 2005 has been markedly quicker than fellow-candidate state Turkey.
However a border row with EU member Slovenia has put the first real diplomatic spanner in the works, threatening the hoped-for timetable.
"The indicative timetable which we have proposed is realistic," assured Rehn after EU-Croatia talks in Brussels which allowed them to open negotiations on just one of the 35 policy subjects which must be completed prior to membership.
Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor announced Wednesday he would veto the opening of some other policy chapters due to a long-standing border dispute between the former Yugoslav republics, prompting an angry reaction from Zagreb.
It means that Croatia has now begun talks on 22 of the 35 policy chapters since its formal EU member negotiations began on October 2005, leaving a lot to be done if the process is to be completed next year.
On top of the row with Slovenia, the European Commission has also highlighted problems with corruption and organised crime which must be addressed.
However "it's doable," Rehn insisted.
"It will depend essentially on Croatia's ability to make reforms, particularly in the judicial sector and the fight against corruption as well as restructuring the (heavily subsidised) shipyards," he added.
But he did plead for Croatian patience if the process is delayed.
"Even if there are delays in the formal talks, please continue the reforms."
In a statement, the Croatian government vowed it would do its utmost to meet the targeted timetable.
"Encouraged by the support of other EU members and the European Commission, Croatia continues on its path towards full-fledged EU membership," it said.
"The government reaffirms its decisiveness to implement all necessary reforms in order that Croatia concludes talks in 2009 and becomes the EU's 28th member."
Commenting Slovenia's move Prime Minister Ivo Sanader stressed that "bilateral issues cannot be brought on EU membership negotiating table."
He renewed his call to Slovenia to reexamine and change its decision to block Zagreb's EU talks.
Ljubljana proposed that Zagreb guarantee that none of the documents presented during the EU accession talks would prejudge a solution of the border dispute.
It also sought to prevent documents being used in any future international arbitration or talks on the issue, which Zagreb deemed "unacceptable."
The two countries have been unable to agree on a few kilometres of land and sea territory since they both proclaimed independece in 1991.
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Croatia could complete its European Union membership talks next year, despite a Slovenian veto which is slowing progress, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, pictured here in November 2008 said.
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