The Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs welcomes the European Commission’s Enlargement Package published today and expresses strong support for the European Union’s enlargement policy.
The EU enlargement is an investment in peace, security and stability, and paves the road to prosperity, in Southeast Europe as well as on the continent as a whole, and is therefore of strategic interest to the entire EU.
The Ministry applauds the progress made by Southeast European countries during the past year and encourages them to direct their reform efforts at the areas listed in the Package and continue with the reforms in the interest of their citizens and societies.
The Package highlights the need to overcome the legacy of the past and reconcile, among other things through unambiguous prosecution of war comes and cooperation in finding out the fate of missing persons.
Croatia strongly supports the enlargement policy, which is based on individual merit, harsh but fair conditions, as well as a focus on results in the key areas of the rule of law and justice reform, combating corruption and organized crime, security, fundamental rights, democratic institutions, public administration reform, economic development and competiveness.
Croatia fully and unequivocally supports Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European path and believes that its progress towards EU membership offers new prospects of prosperity. The Opinion on Bosnia’s EU membership application published today represents a crucial element in that process. Croatia supports the granting of candidate status to Bosnia and remains firm in the belief that Bosnia can achieve its prosperity, sustainable development and lasting democracy only by fully respecting the equality of all three constituent nations as well as the equality of all citizens as the fundamental principle Bosnia and Herzegovina is built on.
The Ministry welcomes and supports the Commission’s recommendation to launch accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, and expects that the decision to open the talks with both countries will be reached soon.