MFAEI Minister Grabar-Kitarović at an informal EAPC meeting in Åre

During the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council meeting, Minister Grabar-Kitarović emphasised the improvement of security in the region, and said she was pleased with the activities and reforms undertaken through the Membership Action Plan, and through the stabilisation and accession process. The minister said these mechanisms, together with the perspective of a full membership in the European Union and NATO, proved to be a catalyst in the SEE countries for the process of implementation of political, economic, and institutional reforms. Achievements and improvement in these implementations should be assessed on individual grounds, and regional cooperation, as an important factor for stability in the region, should be based on a shared goal – membership in the Euro-Atlantic integrations. The Republic of Croatia is determined to continue supporting the countries in the region, and an example of good cooperation is the trilateral cooperation among Croatia, Albania and Macedonia, as part of the US-Adriatic Charter.

At the margins of the Euro-Atlantic Council, minister Grabar-Kitarović met the Macedonian Foreign Minister Ilinka Mitreva, the Albanian Foreign Minister Kastriot Islami, and the State Department Under-Secretary Nicholas Burns. Minister Grabar-Kitarović presented the activities and efforts Croatia has been making in order to implement the Action Plan, and emphasised the Republic of Croatia’s determination to fully cooperate with the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague. The parties stressed the importance of regional cooperation, and said they expected Croatia, Albania, and Macedonia to be invited to become member countries. The State Department Under-Secretary Nicholas Burns expressed his wish for good relations and contacts with the countries in the region, and announced his forthcoming visit to the region.

At the EAPC margins, minister Grabar-Kitarović met with the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis. Minister Grabar-Kitarović thanked him for the support to Croatia on its path to join the EU and NATO. The two ministers agreed there were no open issues, and confirmed very good relations between Croatia and Lithuania. Minister Valionis stressed that the future enlargement of the EU was strategically very important to Lithuania, emphasising that the start of Croatia’s EU admission talks was not important only to Croatia, but was a clear sign for the whole region, and offered Lithuania’s technical help and experience, gained during its negotiations on the full membership in the EU and NATO.

Minister Grabar-Kitarović also met with the Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet. The two ministers assessed as very good the past bilateral relations, and agreed there were no open issues. Minister Grabar-Kitarović thanked for Estonia’s support to Croatia. The Republic of Estonia too offered its technical support and experience in negotiations on entering the EU and NATO.