As announced last week by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić, Assistant Minister Hrvoje Marušić and former chief negotiator Vladimir Drobnjak participated in the public debate on “How to Become an EU Member – Croatia’s Experience and Recommendations for Serbia”, held 25 February in Belgrade.
Currently the head of the Croatian mission to the EU, Drobnjak said no one in Brussels questioned Serbia’s EU integration and that Croatia would continue to help it along that path. He underlined that the road to the EU was long and hard, but said there was a big payoff, adding that Serbia had a head start over Croatia as Belgrade had a clearer picture of what it was up against.
Assistant Minister Marušić also stressed Croatia wanted a European Serbia, adding that Croatia’s EU entry on 1 July would represent a step forward for the entire region. “Croatia’s success shows that the goal is attainable and we will be in a better position to assist all of our neighbours, including Serbia,” Marušić concluded.
At the public debate in the National Assembly of Serbia, attended by representatives of state administration and NGOs, Drobnjak did not want to speculate on how long it would take Serbia to close the negotiations. That, he said, would depend on the efficiency of Serbia’s administration, as well as the nature and number of requirements from Serbia, along with the universal criteria. The most important thing, said Drobnjak, is not to question the end goal, as a candidate country can only partially influence the speed of the EU integration process. The Croatian officials also met with Deputy Prime Minister Suzana Grubješić and Chair of the National Assembly’s European Integration Committee Milica Delević.