At the meeting, Foreign Affairs Ministers discussed the activities of the Quadrilateral, and emphasised in the Declaration the important role of the Euro-Atlantic integration for the situation in the South-Eastern Europe, making assessments to the situation in Serbia and Montenegro, and to the improvement of Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the process of Euro-Atlantic integration. At the meeting, priorities of cooperation with the Quadrilateral member countries were emphasised, for example, Croatia's taking part in the Quadrilateral's multinational military unit for peace-keeping and humanitarian aid actions; linkage of South-Eastern European countries in a pan-European traffic network; cooperation of North Adriatic ports of Trieste, Kopar and Rijeka; cooperation in environment protection; joint regional development projects; small and medium entrepreneurship, regional development, tourism, science and technology cooperation, as well as cooperation in employment, health and student exchange programmes.
During the Quadrilateral's session, Minister Grabar-Kitarović held separate meetings with the Hungarian Foreign Minister Ferenc Somogy. The Hungarian support to Croatia's forthcoming start of EU entry negotiations was confirmed during the meeting, and the implementation of the Action Plan was given a positive evaluation. Situation and prospects of relations in wider South-Eastern Europe region were discussed, as well as the role of the European Union and neighbouring countries in the further stabilisation of the situation. A joint assessment was made of extremely developed mutual relations between the two countries, and an agreement on stronger economy cooperation as part of the Joint Commission was welcomed.
During the conversation between Minister Grabar-Kitarović and the Slovenian Foreign Affairs Minister Dimitrij Rupel, Slovenia expressed its active support to the Croatian government's efforts made through the Action Plan, through cooperation with the ICTY in The Hague, and through the Working Group activities, in order to secure start of its entry negotiations as soon as possible, which was, as Rupel said, Slovenia's strategic interest. During the ministers' conversation, attention was paid to particular current issues concerning the mutual relations, with both sides agreeing that smaller and local disagreements should be solved with regard to wider and more permanent interests of the two countries. A meeting of State Secretaries, at which these issues would be further discussed, was arranged.
At the meeting of Minister Grabar-Kitarović and the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry under-Secretary Roberto Antonione, the Italian support to Croatia's efforts made in cooperation with the ICTY in The Hague was confirmed. Good bilateral relations of the two countries, which hold a permanent dialogue, were also confirmed at the meeting. Minister Grabar-Kitarović welcomed the Italian presidency over the Quadrilateral in the next period.
Following is the original text of the Quadrilateral representativs’ joint declaration:
The Ministers welcomed the progress achieved within the framework of the Q4, especially in the areas of transportation and infrastructure development, justice and home affairs, including combating organized crime, customs cooperation, promotion of the safety of tourists, and IT cooperation, as set forth in the priorities by the Hungarian Chairmanship. They noted that both the objectives and the practical results of Q4 cooperation perfectly fit into, and form an integral part of both the integration efforts into the EU and NATO, and their own regional cooperation.
They also took positive note of the work done towards the enlargement of the Multinational Land Force (MLF) and the elaboration of the Enlargement Policy Paper that outlines the terms of enhanced cooperation with Austria and Croatia in this field. Ministers expressed their commitment to continue to promote these two countries’ accession to the MLF as full-fledged members in a way that also takes into account the need to ensure the proper operational effectiveness of the multinational Battle Group that Hungary, Italy and Slovenia committed themselves within the EU to set up by 2007 on the basis of the MLF.
They stressed that the EU’s Thessaloniki Agenda and SAP process, as well as NATO’s open door policy are powerful incentives for Euro-Atlantic integration that offers a secure and prosperous future for the whole region. While noting that both EU and NATO have to offer a feasible and realistic roadmap to membership, with adequate support, the main responsibility lies with the countries of the region themselves. They are called, inter alia, to speed up internal reforms and to be ready and willing to fulfill all the criteria of membership, without exceptions. The conditions that candidates are expected to meet apply equally to everyone of them both in the EU and the NATO context.
The Ministers underlined the importance of generating and maintaining broad public support in all countries of the region for integration related efforts as a necessary ingredient of success on the path towards reforms. In that context they expressed support for bilateral and regional initiatives, such as the Szeged Process that are aimed at promoting this endeavour.
The Ministers pointed out that regional cooperative mechanisms, like the Q4 serve to underpin with concrete projects the same philosophy of Euro-Atlantic integration, to involve regional partners and friends into projects that translate into practice the future cooperative endeavours in a larger context. They welcomed therefore the decision of the General Affairs and External Relations Council to adopt the negotiating framework for Croatia, as a testimony of the EU’s readiness to embrace this country. In this context, they expressed their hope that the accession negotiations with Croatia will soon be launched. The Ministers welcomed EU’s decision to set up the Task Force and agreed that the EU, as a whole should assess the real facts of Croatian cooperation comprehensively, being aware of the likely implications of a decision on the start of the accession negotiations with Croatia, for the country and beyond. During the meeting, the need to cooperate fully with ICTY was reiterated, as a key benchmark that applies to all countries of the region.
The Ministers strongly stressed the need for the EU and NATO to remain engaged and committed to the future stability and prosperity of the Western Balkans. They welcomed Croatia’s active participation in the Membership Action Plan (MAP). They underlined in this context that all countries of the region have a place also in NATO, once they meet the conditions for membership. They pledged to work towards this end, bearing also in mind that the Atlantic Alliance still has an important mission in the region, both militarily and politically, to secure the transformation of the region, in close cooperation with the European Union.
Participants welcomed the progress achieved by several countries of the region within the Stabilization and Association Process. The European Commission’s positive evaluation of Serbia-Montenegro’s performance, and the Feasibility Study provide prospects with a new dynamics that have to be utilized. The Communication from the Commission on “A European Future for Kosovo” is also a useful guide to meet the most important challenges hindering positive changes there. The Ministers pointed out that it is the responsibility of the European Union to make integration perspectives more feasible by securing adequate resources to help making the region’s economies sustainable, to prevent the replacement of a culture of dependency by a culture of failed states and rampant crime and corruption. Political changes have a security and an economic dimension as well, and both have to be taken duly into account.
The Ministers stressed the importance of the overall reform process and the strengthening of the rule of law in (the Former Yugoslav Republic of) Macedonia, and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Ministers also praised Skopje’s determination to implement fully the Ohrid Framework Agreement. Their real achievements should be reflected in their progress in integration.
The Q4 Foreign Ministers expressed their thanks and appreciation to the outgoing Hungarian Chairmanship, and assured the incoming Italian Chairmanship of their continuing support. They reiterated their commitment to further enhance their fruitful cooperation.