Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Monday held talks with European Neighbourhood and Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi. The main topics were EU enlargement, situation in the Western Balkans and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Grlić Radman reiterated Croatia’s strong support for the continuation of the enlargement process and the European perspective of the Western Balkans, based on individual approach and merit while fully respecting the criteria and implementing the strict conditions in a consistent and credible manner. He added that the respect for democratic values and the rule of law constituted the very core of the enlargement process.
“Croatia supports the ongoing accession talks with Montenegro and Serbia, the launching of talks with Albania and North Macedonia, giving Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status and giving Kosovo membership prospects. For the credibility of the enlargement process, it is crucial to launch accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia,” Grlić Radman said.
The minister underscored Croatia’s support for Serbia’s European journey, adding however that Serbia would have to show better results in the implementation of the required reforms. “As a country negotiating accession to the EU, Serbia should take a clear stand on Ukraine and align itself with EU decisions. Any country that wants to become a member of the European family has to align its policy with that of the EU and show it truly cares about joining it,” he said.
Grlić Radman also addressed the troubling situation in BiH. “Our goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina remains the same – a stable, functioning state in which all three constituent peoples exercise their legitimate political rights, a country that makes steady progress on its European journey and eventually joins the European Union,” he said. The key to that is changing the election law to ensure compliance with the BiH constitution and the Dayton Agreement, respecting the will of Croat voters and compliance with the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights in the Sejdić-Finci case and the ruling of the BiH Constitutional Court in the Ljubić case. The minister added that it was necessary to continue the joint engagement of the EU and the U.S. to provide impetus for the completion of talks to enable free elections.
Concerning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Grlić Radman said it was crucial to tie the Western Balkan countries to the EU, thus preventing any harmful impacts that could destabilize the southeast and, consequently, Europe as a whole.
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