Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Saturday attended a conference on using EU funds in cross-border cooperation, organized by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds.
Concrete support in applying for territorial cooperation programmes within the Multiannual Financial Framework is one of the examples of how Croatia utilizes its EU membership to advance the economic and material status of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Underscoring that this support is characterized by operative cooperation of the two ministries with key local and county actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Grlić Radman said that the concept entailed linking all operative levels in implementing EU projects and represented a platforms for the realization of the needs of BiH Croats.
“Timely feedback from the field on economic, investment and socially responsible needs in the context of potential projects represents a precious resource which will guide our two ministries’ activities,” said Grlić Radman.
He also underlined that a stable and functional Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as improving the status of Croats in the country, was one of the main strategic points of Croatia’s foreign policy.
“The Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina have found themselves in a situation where they have to defend their rights as a constituent nation, which are guaranteed by the Dayton Agreement,” the minister said, adding that BiH Croats would enjoy Croatia’s unconditional support in the fight for their constitutional rights.