Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović held a lecture at the renowned Centre for Strategic and International Studies on the topic of «Croatia on the Crossroads of International Routes»

Minister Grabar-Kitarović spoke of Croatia's efforts to join the Euro-Atlantic integrations. She made a systematic presentation of the efforts the Republic of Croatia Government was making in order to meet all the required conditions for Croatia to become a full EU and NATO member country.

Minister Grabar-Kitarović spoke of the strengthening of bilateral co-operation with the United States, particularly in the fields of anti-terrorism anti-proliferation, in order to strengthen security in the Adriatic and to widen stability and security zones in the territory of South-Eastern Europe. Croatia wishes to become a more reliable partner to the United States, and views its relations to the U.S. in the same light as the relations to the European Union.

The Republic of Croatia is particularly developing good neighbourly relations in the region in order to build the reputation, not only its own but the reputation of the entire region as well, aiming at the promotion of South-Eastern Europe as a stabile partner in the region.

Minister Grabra-Kitarović said she hoped accession negotiations on Croatia's full membership of the European Union would start during Britain’s presidency over the EU. She made an evaluation of the progress in the implementation of the Action Plan, presented by the Republic of Croatia Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, on the grounds of mutual dialogue between the task force and the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague (ICTY) on one hand, and the Croatian government on the other.

Answering the questions, Minister Grabar-Kitarović said the Republic of Croatia Government identified the growing euro-scepticism in Croatia, and that the government, in co-operation with the civil society and the academic community, was willing to present the positive as well as the negative sides of Croatia's entering the Euro-Atlantic integrations.