Croatia in fact wishes to distance itself from the region

Stability Pact chief criticises Serbia-Montenegro union
VIENNA -- Thursday – The loose union of Serbia and Montenegro has only served to aggravate problems between the two republics, the head of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe said last night.

The Belgrade Agreement has succeeded in reversing the process of reintegration, Erhard Busek told a roundtable in Vienna entitled “The Balkans and Southeast Europe”.

Busek said there is some confusion over which countries in fact make up the Balkans, and claimed that Croatia in fact wishes to distance itself from the region.

The countries of the Balkans, he said, are part of Europe and must integrate with the European Union. But no deadlines should be set, he added.