Minister Gordan Jandroković held presentation entitled “Croatian Diplomacy in the Current Mandate Period”

Before a 100-odd guests, ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, and representatives of public and political life, Minister Jandroković presented the Croatian diplomacy’s basic guidelines and expounded the main foreign-policy goals for the next four-year period. He pointed out that it is a great satisfaction to be able to speak about it in a time when the Croatian state policy is receiving a full confirmation of its validity.

Croatia’s position has never been better and its international reputation never greater, said Minister Jandroković, adding that Croatia’s key role in the stabilization and strengthening of South Eastern Europe has been recognized by all the relevant actors in international relations. The best testimony to this is the new momentum in Croatia’s EU accession negotiations, NATO membership invitation, two-year membership in the UN Security Council, and the United States’ support, as expressed during President Bush’s two-day visit to Croatia.

“This four-year mandate will bring something new and special for the Croatian diplomacy”, said Minister Jandroković. “It will be a mandate of transition and thorough transformation. A mandate of acceding to the most elite international integrations and a mandate of acting as their member. Our goal is to complete in said period the momentous historical processes began during Croatia’s defense and gaining of independence, which have ever since been directed at Croatia’s joining the most important and most exclusive global integrations.”

“Our wish is that, at the end of this mandate, the Croatian diplomacy starts acting as the diplomacy of an EU and NATO member, which presents a great challenge, both as regards the reforms that are to lead us to membership and the creation of a structure that will advocate Croatia’s interests from the position of said international integrations’ member.”

The Minister further illustrated in short where we are in terms of the EU and NATO accession processes, as well as what awaits us in that regard. He also pointed out Croatia’s prominent role in the UN due to its Security Council membership, as well as the participation in numerous peacekeeping operations. He especially noted the significant contribution Croatia is already giving to the stabilization and strengthening of South Eastern Europe, as well as the vision of Croatia’s future activities in this part of Europe.

Minister Jandroković rejected the speculations that it is out of political reasons that stricter criteria is being imposed on Croatia than on the previous EU membership candidates. He believes that this stricter approach is stemming from Brussels’ negotiating experience and actually facilitates Croatia’s work in the long run.

The event was organized by the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and the Hanns Seidel Stiftung Foundation.