Brussels, 03/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - Croatia wants to promote the continued enlargement of the European Union to other Balkans countries, now that it has become a member of the EU itself (on Monday 1 July).
“Croatia will continue to work for the policy of enlargement”, the Croatian deputy minister for foreign affairs, Josko Klisovic, told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee. This policy, which is “effective” and contributes to “regional stabilisation”, should be continued, he added, convinced that the European outlook would be a stimulus for reforms in the Balkans. In Klisovic's view, “with Croatia, southern Europe has a voice in the EU, and the EU has a voice in south east Europe”.
Klisovic said that Zagreb intended to help its neighbours, stressing that this was not, however, an attempt at domination. “Croatia will offer all its help to its partners in south east Europe on their European path” because Croatia “has a responsibility towards the neighbouring countries”, he said. “We want to contribute to their integration in the EU, and we will be their voice inside the Union. We want to share our experience in the process of accession (…). We can explain what needs to be done to join the EU”, he stated. Klisovic went on to say that Zagreb had offered its Balkan neighbours its acquis communautaire translations (our translation throughout). (CG/transl.fl)