Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister attended the informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers (Gymnich), held as held as part of Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the EU 15 and 16 February 2018 in Sofia.
Over the last two days, the ministers discussed current topics: the situation in Syria, the EU strategy, the enlargement perspective and increased engagement with the Southeast European countries, as well as North Korea. They also met with the foreign ministers of EU membership candidates to discuss security and defence.
On the second day of their informal meeting, the EU foreign ministers exchanged views on the enlargement policy after the European Commission published its enlargement strategy for the Western Balkans on 2 February. Pejčinović Burić welcomed the EU’s renewed focus on the enlargement policy and the confirmation of membership prospects for all six Southeast European countries. She was hopeful that the new strategy would motivate them to carry on with their reforms efforts. The Croatian foreign minister stressed the importance of the EU keeping its door open to further enlargement, but warned that the Southeast European countries should show political will and a clear commitment to implementing reforms and meeting the necessary criteria for EU membership, notably those concerning issues relating to the legacy of wars, reconciliation and resolution of outstanding bilateral issues. In that regard, she underlined that Croatia believed border disputes should be resolved primarily through bilateral talks. If that fails, a negotiated solution should be sought through established mechanisms such as the International Court of Justice. The enlargement policy should remain founded on a strict and fair conditionality and on the principle of individual achievements.