Minister Grabar-Kitarović on working visit to Sweden

On the first day of the visit, Minister Grabar-Kitarović met with Swedish Foreign Minister Jan Eliasson. The two concluded that the bilateral relations between Croatia and Sweden are very good and with no outstanding issues. Minister Grabar-Kitarović informed Minister Eliasson about Croatia’s achievements in acceding to the EU and its election to the Peacebuilding Commission, which confirmed its transition from a peace forces receiving country to the one that successfully takes part in most of UN peacekeeping operations. Minister Eliasson said that Sweden will continue to support EU enlargement based on each country’s individual achievements.

On the second day, 24 May 2006, Minister Grabar-Kitarović held separate meetings with Parliament’s Vice-Speaker Per Westerberg, Deputy Prime Minister Bosse Ringholm, and Minister for International Development Co-operation at the Swedish MFA Carin Jämtin.

Minister Grabar-Kitarović informed her collocutors with the recent developments in Croatia’s EU accession process, presented Croatia’s negotiating structure, and reviewed the course of the screening process and the meeting of the membership criteria. All parties pointed out the very good bilateral relations and agreed on the importance of maintaining a Euro-Atlantic perspective of the SEE countries based on individual approach. It was also concluded that the stability in the region is a guarantee for the stability of the entire European continent.

As regards the development co-operation, it was pointed out that by end-2005, Sweden allocated some €45 mil. for the humanitarian and development aid to Croatia. From 1992-2003, Sweden has invested around €33 mil. into Croatia, and the 2004, €5 mil. worth of projects were carried out in co-ordination with SIDA (Swedish International Development Co-operation Agency). The focal point of the 2004-2006 development co-operation in the support in the reforms for Croatia’s closer relations with and integration into the EU, with an emphasis on the strengthening of central institutional structures. One of the basic goals of Sweden’s development strategy with Croatia is the support to the reforms that contribute to the creation of an efficient, transparent, and democratic public administration system. The development co-operation must also affect Croatia’s economic development, especially the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as the creation of the preconditions for trade and foreign investment.