Pusić: It is in interest of entire region for Skopje to get start date for EU entry talks

(Hina) - Croatia believes it is in the interest of the entire region of Southeast Europe that conditions should be met for Macedonia to receive a date for the start of European Union membership talks

(Hina) - Croatia believes it is in the interest of the entire region of Southeast Europe that conditions should be met for Macedonia to receive a date for the start of European Union membership talks and an invitation to join NATO, the Croatian First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Vesna Pusić, told the press in Zagreb on Monday after meeting Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister Fatmir Besimi.

Pusić said that Croatia's position was that EU enlargement towards Southeast Europe was more a sort of consolidation of European territory than expansion, and that it was also a matter of stability of Europe and all countries in the region. She said that Croatia would continue cooperating with Macedonia on European and regional issues.

Croatia is a member of the EU, but it is also a member of the region and wants to be very active and run a proactive policy in the region. We find this crucial for our own stability and also for the stability and security of Europe in the future, the Croatian minister said.

Pusić said that Croatia and Macedonia had signed a Euro-Atlantic Partnership agreement and that the two countries had so far worked together on several topics through the centre of excellence, notably in Chapters 23 and 24 of the acquis communautaire (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, and Justice, Freedom and Security) as well as in the areas of agriculture and regional policy.

Besimi said that their meeting had focused on reforms Macedonia was implementing on its path towards EU membership and that it would help in the preparation of the next stage facing Macedonia, namely getting a date for the opening of EU membership negotiations.

It is important for us now to have one more friend among the EU members and that is the Republic of Croatia, Besimi said. He noted that his country was also interested in reinforcing the cooperation with Croatia in the economic sector and trade.

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