Minister Picula gave a lecture at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb...

On 9 May 2003, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, Tonino Picula, gave a lecture at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb, within the framework of the "EU Days”, on the subject of "Adjustment of educational system of Croatia to the European Union". The Minister said that joining the EU was not only a strategic goal of the foreign policy of the Republic of Croatia, but also a continually expressed will of more than three quarters of citizens of Croatia.

"It will be possible to reach this goal only if we all join in together, not just the politicians, but organisation of a civil society, students, pupils and all citizens as well, to contribute to a further development of society in Croatia based on the values of European democracies", Minister Picula continued and recalled how a few years ago nobody had expected the integration processes to include EU enlargement and simultaneous dissolution processes marked by the Iraq crisis, yet today they are reality.

Global multilateralism will have to adapt to the new conditions in which regional cooperation will surely play the pivotal role, said Minister Picula. In this context, he added, the neighbourhood of Croatia is also not under one single sign and ranges from Slovenia and Hungary knocking on the door of the EU to Serbia and Montenegro whose internal problems have given rise to the permanent dilemma in determining the communication directions for international community. Croatia has nevertheless avoided to be traumatised by this on her way toward the European integration processes, stressed Picula.

Although the consequences of the war in Iraq have divided Europe, the Republic of Croatia has by no means taken an “anti-American” position, yet it will continue to uphold its national interests and foreign policy priorities, reiterated the Minister.

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