State Secretary Željko Kuprešak received Director-General for Enlargement Michael Leigh

The meeting focused on areas of state administration, combating corruption and the protection of national minorities’ rights. Also, through reviewing certain issues, undertaken measures which are connected to the implementation of internal reforms and the process of adjustment to EU standards were viewed.

Representatives of the Central State Administrative Office for Public Administration, Ministry of Justice and Government Office for National Minorities, as the competent authorities for certain issues, also attended the meeting, and presented a detailed report on their current progress. Attendees of the meeting stressed the part relating to state administration functioning transparency, administrative capacities strengthening and reforms whose aim is to depoliticize the state administration system. Also, activities regarding prevention of conflict of interest in state and local administration, as well as combating corruption were also emphasized. In this sense the attendees of the meeting confirmed a strong political will of the Republic of Croatia for facing this issue and presented legislative and legal framework as specific measures.

EU representatives were informed and given insight into the high level of national minorities’ rights with an emphasis on consistent implementation of Constitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities, to which the Government of the Republic of Croatia gives full attention. In this view, a part regarding the representation of national minorities in state administration authorities was stressed and information on the representation of national minorities in the Croatian Parliament and the Government of the Republic of Croatia was also presented.