ZAGREB, April 18, 2018 – The Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs issued a statement on Tuesday in connection with the European Commission’s Enlargement Report for 2018, saying that Croatia strongly supported the further process of EU enlargement to all Southeast European countries.
“The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs expresses strong support for the further process of European Union enlargement to all countries in Southeast Europe because that is of strategic interest to the EU. The EU’s enlargement policy is an investment in security, peace, prosperity and hence in stability in Europe,” the statement said.
The European Commission on Tuesday issued progress reports on EU membership candidates and potential candidates, saying that the Western Balkan countries were making slow progress on their path to the EU, while Turkey was backsliding.
The Croatian ministry said that credible membership prospects were key for the development of democratic and prosperous societies in Southeast Europe. “Croatia believes that the further implementation of EU enlargement policy is especially important for the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to which EU membership offers a better future which can be achieved only by honouring the basic Dayton principle of the equality of the three constituent peoples,” the statement said.
The ministry welcomed the Commission’s recommendation to open accession negotiations with Albania and Macedonia, saying that this is a confirmation that reforms pay off.
Croatia strongly supports enlargement policy based on merit, strict and fair conditionality, and putting the focus on key areas. For progress in the enlargement process the most important are results in the rule of law and judicial reform, the fight against corruption and organised crime, security, fundamental rights, democratic institutions, public administration reform, economic development and competitiveness. Strengthening regional cooperation and developing good-neighbourly relations also remain essential components of the enlargement process, according to the statement.
“It is important that the Enlargement Report warns of the need to invest more effort in the most vulnerable areas, including prosecuting war crimes and shedding light on the fate of missing persons, but also the need to create a constructive atmosphere for overcoming the legacy of the past and for reconciliation. As highlighted in the European Commission’s Enlargement Strategy of February 2018, open bilateral issues need to be resolved before EU entry,” the ministry said.
It said that the report is an encouragement and a signpost to the membership candidates and potential candidates. “We welcome the progress made by these countries in the previous period, and we invite and encourage them to continue the reforms because they are in the best interests of their citizens,” the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs said.
