We do not want to be an assembly centre on the edge of the EU

We spoke with the Foreign Minister before the Solun Summit, where the leaders of the EU members states are to meet with the leaders of the SAA countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, and Serbia and Montenegro.)

The Summit is about to take place. What can Croatia expect from it?
It is certainly one of this year’s most important political summits. It is important because it will see not only the representatives of the EU Member States, but also the representatives of the new Members States, the three countries that did not get the invitation after Copenhagen, and the representatives of the five SAA countries. Greece, presiding over the summit, wishes to conclude, in a political sense, the efforts it has been making in the past 6 months. Its priority was to secure a European perspective for Southeast European countries, and in Croatia’s case, these efforts have started to show results. Countries that were excluded from any serious forms of integration 3 or 4 years ago because of the war in ex-Yugoslavia, are now getting a clearer perspective of the EU integration.
Croatia, as an applicant state, expects the integration process not to slow down after Solun. We will probably receive the European Commission’s questionnaire before the end of July that must be answered within the next couple of months, all for the purposes of getting the green light for negotiations with the EU that will start in spring 2004, under the Irish presidency.

Importance of individual success

Is the Solun Summit going to dispel all doubts about the SAA being a means to create some sort of new federation in the Southeast Europe?
It is clear now that the SAA was not intended to unite the Balkan countries that should co-operate among themselves independently of the EU integration process. This misconception will finally be dispelled by two principal documents of the Solun Summit. These are the declaration that will be adopted and the so-called “EU Agenda”, an internal document of the EU stating that each country will progress according to its success in carrying out the necessary reforms. In that, it does not diminish the importance of regional co-operation, but nevertheless gives preference to individual success. On its road to the EU, Croatia was supported by Greece, another Balkan country, which helped improve its image and strengthen the belief of our people in the basic values of the EU.

Can we expect Croatia’s unique position in the region to be emphasised?
We wish the individual approach to be confirmed, of course. It is important to point out that the Declaration and Agenda will bring a new set of instruments for the SAA countries. The EU is to develop a special strategy for each of those countries. There are some general criteria that all countries have to meet, as did those countries that will enter the EU next year. Apart from that, a specific strategy will be designed for each of those countries, that will also take into account their individual differences and issues.

I will sign Simitis’ statement

It is important for Croatia that it is recognised by the Council of Ministers as an applicant country and guaranteed that its candidacy will get the same treatment as any other candidate country during the 90s. It is important that the Zagreb Process gets its superstructure. We think that the SA process is a perfect mechanism for strengthening the ties between Southeast Europe and the EU and should be upgraded in Solun, which has been promised in those two documents.

How do you interpret Greek Prime Minister Simitis’ statement that Croatia will end its negotiations with the EU by 2008 or 2009, when Prime Minister Račan and yourself have repeatedly claimed that Croatia would fulfil its obligations by 2007?
I still stand behind that. We have to fulfil all our obligations by 1 January 2007 in order to qualify for the EU membership. After that, it is not up to Croatia anymore, but up to the enlargement policy that needs to be agreed upon by all Members. I would immediately sign the statement Prime Minister Simitis gave in Vienna, as his statement proves that we have kept our promise to the Croatian people about entering the EU before the end of this decade. This means that there is not only enthusiasm on our part to see our country in the EU, but the readiness on the part of the EU to count on Croatia as a member in the next few years.

SEFTA – chimerical thing

What is your position on the creation of the new free trade zone in Southeast Europe that is being mentioned quite often lately?
It is in Croatia’s interest that the free trade zone spreads and that our economy changes from a typically import into a predominantly export oriented. Right now we have a goods trade deficit with most of the countries, but we have a surplus with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro, and we also expect to have a surplus with Macedonia and other countries in the region. As regards swapping CEFTA with SEFTA, that project will not likely be realised anytime soon. The problem is that some SE countries are not members of the WTO, and some of them have serious problem establishing free trade within their own territory. For instance, Serbia and Montenegro, which have some serious customs problems because they do not have a unique economic or monetary system. So, right now, SEFTA is a bit of a chimerical thing, although the reason behind it is quite understandable. Croatia can in no way accept some monetary and customs unions that would apply to Southeast Europe only.

Do you have any information on the assembly centres that are being built in Croatia to accommodate asylum seekers from Great Britain?
No one has ever spoken to me about that, neither at home nor abroad. That idea came about last year, but it did not find a fertile ground, so it was soon forgotten. Certainly there are some interests on the part of the EU to solve the illegal immigrants issue in such a way, but Croatia sees itself as a future part of the EU, not as an assembly centre on the edge of it.

Incident in Belgrade is more than a diplomatic incident

Croatia has temporarily ceased requiring visas for the citizens of Serbia and Montenegro, and the Vice Price Minister of Serbia and Montenegro promised to withdraw all armed forces from the state border on the Danube river. Just when the good neighbourly relations began to be established, the incident in Belgrade occurred. Is this a minor incident or will it damage the relations between the two countries?
In no way is this a minor diplomatic incident. Damaging the integrity of an embassy raises some serious questions, not only because of the Vienna convention that protects such buildings, but because such an incident can hurt the bilateral relations between the countries and endanger a country’s dignity. The safety of foreign diplomats and their property is something that every country should protect at all costs. What happened in Belgrade was a grave breach of security. The potential for violence was underestimated, and not enough was done to protect the embassy its employees. It is also an indication of the sentiments that exist in the country and we must now make up our minds as to how serious this incident really is.
It is unfortunate that it occurred at a time when we have already taken a number of steps to establish co-operation with our neighbours and help them speed up certain processes by co-operating with us, not because of the Solun Summit, as some are trying to suggest, but because we care about good neighbourly relations.

Can you say what those steps are?
We have cancelled the visa policy and started a housing programme for those Croatian citizens that have accommodation problems. Prime Minister Račan has also invited all Croatian citizens that wish to come back to Croatia to do so. Several other projects were being prepared, which we have spoken about with the Serbian officials, but the Belgrade incident will now certainly affect our relations. It should be clear that we cannot just forget about what happened. We are talking about both material and political damage. We will ask of the Belgrade authorities to give us a clear guarantee that this will not happen again. Regardless of its seriousness, this incident should be a warning that the remaining open questions need to be resolved as soon as possible.