Hague: We appreciate everything Croatia has done and welcome it as new member

We appreciate everything Croatia has done and welcome it as the a member to join the EU on 1 July as well as an equal partner with whom we will cooperate even more closely on EU reforms and the continuation of enlargement to Southeast European countries

We appreciate everything Croatia has done and welcome it as the a member to join the EU on 1 July as well as an equal partner with whom we will cooperate even more closely on EU reforms and the continuation of enlargement to Southeast European countries, British Foreign Secretary William Hague said during the talks with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić. He added that the friendship and partnership between the two countries had been confirmed the previous week when Croatian President Ivo Josipović visited London and saluted everything the government and the citizens had done to transform Croatia. Hague said Great Britain and Croatia should strengthen bilateral trade and investments, and that about 400,000 British tourists were expected in Croatia this year as the Adriatic coast was a known destination to them.

Pusić said the Croatian government would continue working on encouraging investment and that it was already cooperating with Great Britain on that. She pointed out the energy sector as the area of special interest for cooperation.

The two ministers also discussed cooperation in the region. Great Britain is looking forward to continued enlargement into Southeast Europe, but each country’s progress will depend on its individual achievements, Hague said in regard to the possibility of the European Council setting the date in June for the start of Serbia and Macedonia’s EU entry talks.

Pusić underlined that the region's progress in European reform was a mutual interest of Croatia and Great Britain, announcing she would discuss the topic with her colleagues from the region at the SEECP ministerial meeting in Ohrid. 

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