Croatia is interested in cooperation and progress in Southeast Europe regardless of the fact that it is joining the EU on 1 July, or perhaps because of it, and considers it extremely important as well as the neighbouring countries’ progress towards full-fledged membership. Nearly every country now has the chance to make a step forward, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić told the press on the fringes of the SEECP ministerial meeting.
Pusić said the meeting was important as it was "a first step of sorts, a first test of the implementation of the part of the Belgrade-Pristina agreement which talks about regional cooperation." Croatia supports the implementation of the agreement, so that Serbia can get a date for the start of EU entry talks. We believe Macedonia should be given a date for the start of the negotiations and that Kosovo should sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement, said Pusić.
She held separate meetings with foreign ministers of Macedonia, Bulgaria and Serbia, Poposki, Vigenin and Mrkić, as well as with Albanian Deputy Foreign Minister Edith Harxi. They discussed regional cooperation and the region's EU prospects. Pusić and Mrkić also talked about her reciprical visit to Belgrade in the second half of June.