State Secretary Božinović held lecture for high state officials entitled “Meeting Croatia and Its Foreign-Policy Priorities”

The lecture for 30-odd high state officials of the Dutch ABD Group State Secretary Božinović focused on presenting the basic information about Croatia’s geographic and historical image, political system, cultural heritage, and tourism as one of the key catalysts of economic progress. Pointing out the importance the Croatian Government places on the stability of the economic sector, he laid out the further guidelines concerning the current economic situation in the country.

Speaking about the foreign-policy goals, State Secretary Božinović explained in short the entire course of Croatia’s EU accession process since the day of submitting the membership request. He pointed out that the EU membership gives Croatia the possibility to solidify and further build our spiritual and material values precisely within the space which we historically have always belonged to, and that is Europe.

Croatia’s entering the EU therefore does not represent a danger of losing our national and cultural identity, but rather an affirmation of the Croatian culture and especially Croatian language, which too will be an official language of the Union. “In that way, the Croatian culture will get its promoter and protector that is EU”, said State Secretary Božinović.

In the part of the lecture concerning Croatia’s road to NATO membership, State Secretary Božinović presented the activities that have taken place within the period since the start of the negotiating process and the current signing of the Protocol on NATO Enlargement to Croatia in the members’ parliaments, as well as the perspectives that the membership brings to the Republic of Croatia.