State Secretary Marija Pejčinović Burić met with Horst Mehrländer

State Secretary Pejčinović Burić thanked the German Federal Government and the Government of Baden-Württemberg for the support to Croatia’s EU ascension process. She pointed out that the co-operation with Germany is very important, especially with the State of Baden-Württemberg, the home of the largest Croatian community in the world. In that regard, she particularly commended the co-operation through the Mixed Croatia- Baden-Württemberg Commission, presided over from the Croatian side by State Secretary Pejčinović Burić, and from the German side by the State Minister and Minister of European Affairs at the Government of Baden-Württemberg, Willi Stächele. Speaking about the co-operation in the process of acceding to the EU, State Secretary Pejčinović Burić said that Croatia and Germany are co-operating on the twinning projects, one of which is with the State of Baden-Württemberg.

State Secretary Mehrländer expressed his interest in Croatia’s EU ascension process. State Secretary Pejčinović Burić informed him about the progress of the screening and about Croatia’s EU negotiations structure, stressing that Croatia wants quicker and more quality negotiations, which requires a wide national consensus. She added that the solutions to the enlargement issues need to be found within the EU.

State Secretary Mehrländer expressed his conviction that Croatia in exceptionally ready for the EU membership negotiations, stating his satisfaction with Croatia’s progress in acceding to the EU. He pointed out the friendship between the State of Baden-Württemberg and Germany with Croatia, and offered a partnership relation with Baden-Württemberg in Croatia’s process of EU ascension, emphasizing in that regard the pending German presidency over the EU in the first half of 2007.