In his speech, Minister Jandroković commended the contribution of the past Wilton Park conferences to stimulating the discussion on all the key issues of world policy, including the EU enlargement, and expressed hope that this conference too would give impetus to the policy of enlargement
In his speech, Minister Jandroković commended the contribution of the past Wilton Park conferences to stimulating the discussion on all the key issues of world policy, including the EU enlargement, and expressed hope that this conference too would give impetus to the policy of enlargement.
Reviewing Croatia’s accession process, Minister Jandroković said that Croatia had launched its negotiations at a time when the Union’s priorities concerned its internal organization, as opposed to the previous cycle when enlargement itself was presented as a historical project and political priority. This posed the question of the Union’s further enlargement and its eventual limits, leading to a more complex accession process in the political and technical sense, both for Croatia and all other potential candidates.
Minister Jandroković said that in spite of that, Croatia had managed to adapt to and face the challenges, and is now on the verge of entering the EU. In that regard, he recalled the significant progress achieved in the negotiations at the last Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels. He expressed satisfaction that the European Commission in its last Progress Report had recognized all of Croatia’s achievements, stating that the negotiations could be completed during 2010. He also expressed satisfaction with the agreement between the Croatian and Slovenian prime ministers, as well as with the achieved bilateral understanding, based on the renewed dialogue in the spirit of good-neighbourliness.
Minister Jandroković emphasized that Croatia is ready to face the challenges that lie ahead, especially those concerning the justice and public administration reform, combating corruption and organized crime, and the implementation of the remaining economic reforms. he also said that there is a political will and determination to continue the full cooperation with the International Court at the Hague.
Mentioning the Lisbon Treaty, Minister Jandroković said that its coming into force would open a new historic chapter for the EU, which will result in a more efficient, transparent and safe Union. From Croatia’s viewpoint, the Lisbon Treaty is important for the continuation of the enlargement policy, as it makes room for Croatia’s unobstructed accession.
Recalling today’s anniversary of the fall of Vukovar, Minister Jandroković said that this year also marks 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, which symbolized the fall of the Iron Curtain and the overcoming of Europe’s division into east and west. He emphasized that it is time for the “iron curtain” towards South Eastern Europe to be lifted as well, and thus eliminate Europe’s last dividing line.
As a country that has come the closest to the EU membership, Croatia will continue to actively support the Euro-integration aspiration of all of the countries in Europe’s southeast, assisting them along that path through its experiences with the accession process, said Minister Jandroković, adding that the speed of approach would depend on individual merits and progress in satisfying the set criteria. He also said that the integration of the countries of South Eastern Europe into the EU is the only way to achieve the full stability, security and prosperity in the region.
Minister Jandroković said that Croatia would continue to support other regional initiatives as well, especially the Regional Cooperation Council, in their implementation of regional infrastructural projects. He expressed his conviction that this would contribute to the sustainability of national economies and improve their abilities to cope with the current economic crisis, and ultimately integrate more easily into the European networks and markets.
The three-day conference was organized by Wilton Park in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the European Commission and the UK Foreign Office, and saw the participation of representatives from Croatia, the US, Great Britain and other European countries.
The presentations and discussion primarily concerned Croatia’s EU accession negotiations, perspectives of the Union’s further enlargement in the region, bilateral issues in the processes of enlargement, justice reform, battle against corruption, public administration enhancement and other relevant topics.
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