Grlić Radman: Regional cooperation initiatives can accelerate EU enlargement

Speaking in Sarajevo on Wednesday, the Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs said that it is important to continue the process of EU enlargement, noting that a great impetus for this can be provided through existing regional cooperation initiatives in which Croatia actively participates.

Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman was in neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on Wednesday to attend a conference focusing on cooperation between the countries of the Danube region. On the occasion he also met with senior officials of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, Borjana Krišto, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elmedin Konaković.

In a statement to reporters, Grlić Radman said that Croatia has supported the initiative for cooperation between the Danube countries since it was launched by Germany in 2009, because it improves the quality of transport and socio-economic living conditions, and out of 14 member states, nine are also in the European Union, so it has become an important instrument of cooperation with candidate countries.

Commenting on the European Commission's report on the enlargement process, published on Tuesday, and especially the situation in BiH, Grlić Radman asserted that despite the obstacles, the country has made great progress on its European path: "There are still two laws to be adopted and the appointment of the chief negotiator, and that could happen very soon. And then we could see BiH on the path to opening negotiations."

Croatia, as he reminded, strongly supports Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path because it is also its national interest, especially considering that Croats are a constituent people in it: "We strongly advocate both politically and diplomatically that it is important to fight for an amendment to the electoral law in order to ensure the equality of the constituent peoples, so that Croats can also elect their legitimate political representatives."

Minister Grlić Radman concluded that Croatia is prepared to do whatever is required of it to help Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European path.

Source: HRT