MFA Dr. Miomir Žužul met with Spanish MFA Miguel Angel Moratinos

During the meeting and after the meeting, at the press conference, Spanish Minister Moratinos conveyed to Dr. Žužul full support of the Kingdom of Spain for the admission of the Republic of Croatia to the European Union, as well as for the European Council’s decision in favour of Croatia with regard to its candidate status and the date for the commencement of negotiations between Croatia and the EU, which is to be announced on 17 and 18 June 2004 in Brussels.

Moratinos invited Croatia to participate in the Barcelona process and to join it. Spanish Minister particularly stressed the Mediterranean cooperation as a process in which Spain and Croatia are natural partners. It is in the interest of Spain that Croatia joins the European Union as soon as possible, said Moratinos, because it is an ally on which we can count within the framework of the future Constitution of the European Union.

Minister Žužul thanked Minister Moratinos for the support reflecting the friendship and cooperation between the two states as well as their common European and Mediterranean spirit and interest. Dr. Žužul conveyed the invitation of Croatian Prime Minister Dr. Ivo Sanader for Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero to visit Croatia, and informed his counterpart that Croatian Prime Minister accepted the invitation of Spanish Prime Minister to visit Spain soon. Minister Žužul invited Spanish MFA Moratinos to visit Croatia, and Minister Moratinos accepted the invitation.

On the same day, 9 June 2004, Croatian MFA Miomir Žužul had a working meeting organized by the Spanish foundation Forum New Europe. On the occasion attended by the ambassadors accredited to Spain, diplomats, representatives of the political and economic life and journalists, Minister Žužul spoke about Croatia’s foreign policy and its approaching the European Union, economic relations, and the situation in the region.

At the Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Madrid, Minister Žužul handed the Order of Croatian Guilloche to the Spanish poet and literary critic Guillemo Frontera, awarded to him by the president of Croatia, Stjepan Mesić, for his merits in promoting Croatian culture in Spain.