Croatian President Stjepan Mesic voiced concern on 23 June 2008 about statements of some European leaders that there would be no further EU enlargement until the Treaty of Lisbon was ratified and that this also referred to Croatia.
Mesic worried about statements that further EU enlargement depends on Lisbon treaty (HINA)
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic voiced concern on 23 June 2008 about statements of some European leaders that there would be no further EU enlargement until the Treaty of Lisbon was ratified and that this also referred to Croatia. "This is not good for several reasons. Firstly, it is not good for the EU because by strictly following the form and disregarding the substance it puts an obstacle on the path to its full self-realisation, to its becoming a truly united Europe," Mesic said in a lecture at Kreisky Forum in Vienna. "Secondly, this is not good for my country. I don't doubt that now support for Croatia's entry into the EU will wane, and that those who would like to see the country return to isolation will gloat," Mesic said. "Thirdly, this is not good for this region, because Croatia has been a driving force in this region, pulling towards the Union. If despite the results achieved, the door is closed to us, even for only some time, it won't be difficult to imagine how that will be viewed in other countries of this region," Mesic said, calling for the continuation of EU enlargement. He added that entire Southeast Europe, without exception, should be integrated with the EU in the foreseeable future, and voiced confidence that this would happen. He noted, however, that the situation in the countries in the region differed very much from one another and that the region as a whole lacked the necessary stability. After a brutal war, Bosnia and Herzegovina is living in peace brought about by the Dayton peace agreement, which also established two entities, "one of which is demonstrating a clear ambition to function as a state within a state, and maybe even break up the state of which it is a part, while the other entity functions with difficulty, but nevertheless occasionally succeeds in preventing the common state from becoming stable." Mesic reiterated that the Bosnian Serb entity of Republika Srpska was founded on ethnic cleansing and that Serbia should make it clear to the Bosnian Serbs that Bosnia and Herzegovina is their homeland, that Sarajevo is their capital and that they should solve their problems there. "Such a message has still not been sent," Mesic said, calling on the international community to make it clear to all who might have similar plans and wishes, that Bosnia must be sustained as a single country with three equal constituent peoples and that any division is out of the question. Speaking of Serbia, Mesic said that "democratic Serbia is forward-looking in the best interests of its citizens, as well as in the interests of Croatia and the entire region". "By refusing persistently to acknowledge the fact that Kosovo has become independent, Serbia is only demonstrating its inability to face the reality... and is pushing itself into a state of half-isolation in international relations. That is not good either for Serbia or the region." Speaking of Montenegro and Macedonia, Mesic said that they were transition countries clearly looking towards a united Europe. He commended Montenegro for having seceded from Serbia in a peaceful way and expressed the belief that Montenegro would have a good future. Mesic also voiced regret that progress in the Macedonian-Greek dispute over Macedonia's name seemed to be impossible to achieve. "I believe, however, that Macedonians should not be asked, in any way, to give up their identity and their name," Mesic concluded.
Earlier this day president Mesic met with his colleague Fischer and visited Tuthankamon exibition.
Pressemitteilungen
