Minister Gordan Jandroković received delegation of Irish Parliament’s Joint Committee on European Affairs, led by its Chairman Bernard Durkan

Apart from expressing satisfaction with the very good bilateral relations devoid of outstanding issues, Minister Jandroković expressed gratitude for Ireland’s continued support for Croatia’s EU accession, especially during the Irish presidency, when Croatia received the membership candidate status. He said that the existing mutual understanding and congruence of many positions represent a good basis for the development of partnership relations between the two countries once Croatia joins the EU. The minister also thanked for Ireland’s bilateral assistance during Croatia’s pre-accession period, in the field of using the EU funds, agriculture, and public administration reform.

Speaking about Croatia’s EU accession negotiations, Minister Jandroković pointed out that Croatia is determined to carry on implementing all of the required reforms with undiminished intensity, so that it could conclude the negotiations by end-2009.

In regard to the current situation with Slovenia, Minister Jandroković reiterated Croatia’s position that the two countries’ border issue and the EU negotiations are two separate processes and should be treated as such, instead of letting them affect Croatia’s relations with the EU and NATO. He added that Oli Rehn’s initiative on the need to continue with the dialogue which clearly separates these two processes was welcomed by Croatia. Croatia believes that the border issue with Slovenia should be solved in the European spirit of good-neighborliness before an international body of justice, which would reach a decision obligating both of the sides.

The collocutors also exchanged opinions about Croatia’s NATO accession, expressing satisfaction with the current course of ratifying the Protocol on NATO Enlargement to the Republic of Croatia, as well as with the deposition of the national ratification instruments at the State Department, with Minister Jandroković expressing conviction that Croatia would become a full-fledged NATO member at the April’s Strasbourg/Kehl Summit.