Stier at HPEU conference: Croatia unequivocally supports EU enlargement

(Hina) - Croatia without a slightest doubt supports EU enlargement because the process has a beneficial effect for Europe which has become a continent of peace and democracy, Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Davor Ivo Stier said

(Hina) - Croatia without a slightest doubt supports EU enlargement because the process has a beneficial effect for Europe which has become a continent of peace and democracy, Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Davor Ivo Stier said at a conference of Croatia's Paneuropean Union (HPEU) in Zagreb on Friday.

Croatia's new foreign minister spoke at the international conference entitled "Integration or Disintegration of the European Union - Paneuropean Response and Prospects of Integration in Southeast Europe Quarter of a Century Later" which started in Zagreb on Friday.

Stier believes Croatia is a bridge between the European Union and Southeast European countries which are on the path to Euro-Atlantic integration processes, underscoring that it is in the interest of Zagreb that this area undergoes the Europeanisation process with the full respect of the criteria for membership of the bloc.

"The European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a strategic priority for us," Stier said, recalling the importance of all three peoples in Bosnia to enjoy equal rights. He also commented on recent events in Bosnia, notably "the unconstitutional referendum in the Republika Srpska and incidents in Stolac during the election."

"Bosnia needs a comprehensive approach and a stronger involvement of the international community," Stier said.

The conference was also addressed by Croatia's new Education Minister Pavo Barišić.

The two-day event is organised by the Croatian Paneuropean Union (HPEU), the Foreign and European Affairs Ministry, the City of Zagreb and Karlovac County. The conference is attended by representatives of 14 countries. The Paneuropean Union is the oldest European unification movement.

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