“I would like to mention that the Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic and French President Macron met in Paris on the 7th of January to discuss the EU enlargement process and to jointly find the solutions to open accession negotiations for North Macedonia and Albania. During its EU Presidency, Croatia wants to take a stimulating, motivating and supportive role for its neighboring countries, as it believes that the European perspective has no alternative,” said Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric
By Genc Mlloja
Senior Diplomatic Editor
TIRANA – “Over the next 6 months, the first Croatian Presidency of the Council will be steering the European Union in its ever-forward journey. Your Presidency will literally shape how the European Union will look like in the coming years,” said in his opening remarks EU Ambassador to Albania Luigi Soreca at the launch of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union on Monday.
“Less than seven years after Croatia joined the European Union, the EU can count on a Presidency that will push the enlargement agenda further. In that respect, after the Romanian and Finnish Presidencies, I strongly welcome the continuity of maintaining the Western Balkans amongst our key priorities this semester,” noted Brussels’ top envoy in Tirana in his address to local state and government officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps, journalists and other invitees.
Croatia which joined the bloc in 2013 is celebrating 29 years of independence and considers being at the helm of the European Council at an historic moment for the country leaping from a war-torn nation to a stable international actor and member of EU and NATO. Croatia declared independence from the former Yugoslavia (SFRY) on June 25, 1991, finalizing its effort to end its status as a constituent republic of the former Federation. It was first recognized as an independent state on 26 June 1991 by Slovenia, which declared its own independence on the same day as Croatia.
Ambassador Soreca praised Croatia for its achievements saying that the 2013 EU enlargement to Croatia proved to all in the region that through hard work, persistence, political courage and determination, membership in the Union is within reach. “Croatia was a pioneer, demonstrating in a tangible way that the future of the Western Balkans as a whole lies in the European Union. The Union remains, more than ever, committed to this perspective. At a time when, sadly, we will lose one member, the achievements of Croatia in the past ten years prove that membership to the EU brings further economic development, social protection and political influence over decisions that affect our countries, Europe and the world.”
Further on he said that Croatia will be looking at finalizing the new Multiannual Financial Framework, ensuring the orderly withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU, preparing the Conference on the Future of Europe and of course reforming and advancing the enlargement policy. “A very impressive programme!” Mr. Soreca said.
He paid special attention to the Union’s enlargement agenda and was hopeful that Croatia will push it further. “In that respect, after the Romanian and Finnish Presidencies, I strongly welcome the continuity of maintaining the Western Balkans amongst our key priorities this semester.”
Ambassador Soreca expressed the confidence that the Zagreb summit will be a milestone in this process. “For that, we still have a lot of work to do. The Commission will be working on the methodology and will put forward a proposal for the enlargement process early this year. This will reflect how we can improve the accession policy,” he said. “But working on the methodology does not freeze the rest of the process. President von der Leyen said it clearly when meeting Prime Minister Plenkovic. She said: ‘I am deeply convinced that this should not keep us from taking on the accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania. We asked them to do a lot, they fulfilled the criteria so now we do have to deliver and to keep our promises.’”
Mr. Soreca drew the attention that Croatia’s Presidency would be crucial for Albania. “After the Zagreb Summit, the Commission will adopt its Annual Report. The priority should be on the additional efforts that remain to be achieved to convince all Member States – meaning focusing on delivering reforms.”
According to him, high on Albania’s EU integration agenda are: continue the establishment of key new judicial institutions, having a fully functional Constitutional Court, adopting the remaining bylaws on the protection of minorities and finally adopt an electoral reform that fully addresses the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations. “We are glad that progress has been achieved on that last file and Commissioner Varhelyi, who was with us last Thursday, encouraged all parties to reach an agreement before mid-March,” he said.
But the EU Ambassador underlined that a constructive dialogue among all political parties is needed. “Their readiness to come together for the benefit and interest of all Albanians is essential for Albania’s European future. There is not much time left before the different milestones of the spring. It would be a mistake for Albania to not focus on doing all that the country possibly can over the next months to present itself fully prepared.”
Mr. Soreca took the opportunity to announce that the EC will host a donors conference on 17 February in Brussels to help Albania in its reconstruction following the horrible earthquake of 26 November. According to him, the EU is working with the World Bank and the United Nations on the elaboration of a joint Post Disaster Needs Assessment which will give the credibility and confidence needed by donors to help reconstruction in Albania.
The EU Ambassador stressed that it should never be forgotten that the European idea was born more than sixty years ago with the objective to make wars and conflicts impossible to happen again in Europe. “The last cruel war on the European continent took place here, in the Western Balkans. Membership to the European Union is a guarantee that it should also belong to the past. Membership to the EuropeanUnion is still today the anchor for peace on our continent,” he said wishing Croatia the best of luck and success for this historical first Presidency of the country.
After a short movie on the Croatian Presidency, Mr. Zlatko Kramaric, Ambassador of Croatia to Albania, presented the main priorities of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
“A Strong Europe in a Challenging World”
“The Croatian Presidency comes at a time of great changes and challenges for the European Union and the Member States. We believe that those challenges can be addressed only by acting together, united in a strong Europe,” Ambassador of Croatia to Albania Zlatko Kramaric said while unveiling the main aspects of the priorities of Croatia’s debut EU presidency. “That is why we have chosen “A strong Europe in a world of challenges” as a motto of our first Presidency. We believe it reflects the vision of a European Union that acts for the benefit of all its Member States and citizens,” Ambassador Kramaric told a fully packed hall at Europe House on January 20, 2020.
Ambassador Kramaric said that the four major areas of Croatia’s presidency program in the first half of 2020 will be a Europe that develops, connects, protects and is influential on the global scene.
“Under the first priority (A Europe that develops), we will advocate for a balanced, sustainable and inclusive development of the EU that takes into consideration the needs of all the Member States, their regions and citizens,” noted the Ambassador who dwelt at length on this important topic which among others is directly linked with the need to ensure better life conditions and prospects for all European citizens. It’s worthy to mention that, according to him, Croatia will advocate for strengthening the Economic and Monetary Union and the international role of the euro.
Referring to the second priority ‘A Europe that connects’, the Ambassador said that Croatia will promote initiatives contributing to transport, energy and digital connectivity to achieve better cohesion among Member States. The program includes the need for addressing the potential of new technologies (such as Artificial Intelligence, where the Presidency intends to start discussion on the Commission’s proposal once it is presented), encouragement policies that bring together citizens of the Union, especially through sport, culture and education, promotion and protection of cultural heritage.
“As a matter of priority, within our third priority (A Europe that protects), we will work on the Union’s new strategic guidelines in the areas of freedom, security and justice,” said Ambassador Kramaric. Referring to a safer Union and its citizens he said that focus will be put on the security and safety of Union’s citizens, both internally and externally. “We will also work on a comprehensive approach to migration (as soon as the proposal for the new Pact on Migration and Asylum is presented by the Commission).”
Further on, he said that the Croatian presidency will also work on strengthening resilience to hybrid and cyber threats.”We will continue to promote the rule of law as a fundamental EU value, advocating for a comprehensive and efficient approach to prevention, protection and promoting the rule of law in the Union, while strengthening dialogue and unity of Member States,” said the Ambassador.
“Under the fourth priority (An influential Europe), we will highlight the Union’s leading role, and the need for its visibility and credibility, both on a global scale and in its neighbourhood. EU’s credibility in international relations is reflected also in its responsible approach towards its own neighbourhood, from East to South, including South East Europe (Western Balkans) in its immediate surroundings,” he said. Croatia will continue to support a credible and merit-based EU enlargement policy, said Mr. Kramaric announcing that his country will host the EU – Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb in May 2020, as an honest and ambitious broker in its support for all the Western Balkans countries on their European path, based on their achievements in fulfilling the conditions and necessary criteria.
Further on, he said that Croatian Presidency will promote European values and interests, the reinforcement of peace and security, and strengthening of the multilateralism. “We will advocate for safeguarding and strengthening of the multilateral trading system based on rules that provide level playing field for all. The additional development of capacities and instruments for external action in the area of development assistance and humanitarian aid, as well as further strengthening of the European security and defence cooperation remain important elements of our external action endeavours.”
In the meantime he said that the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) is the basis for achieving common European goals.” In cooperation with the President of the European Council, we will strive to facilitate a comprehensive and balanced agreement on the MFF. The EU needs an MFF that is ambitious, balanced and sustainable, and able to meet the internal and external challenges we are facing.”
EU- Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb, a Unique Opportunity
A special priority for the Croatian Presidency is enlargement and as the Ambassador said “we will strive for the continuation of a credible and effective enlargement policy, as an investment in stability and security as well as further economic development and connectivity on the European continent. Regional cooperation and development of good neighbourly relations are of utmost importance. A credible and effective enlargement policy remains to be based on a reaffirmed European perspective of candidates and potential candidates, based on fulfilment of established criteria and principle of own merits.”
The Croatian Ambassador said,” We see the EU- Western Balkans Summit in Zagreb in May 2020, Summit as a unique opportunity to set a political strategic roadmap for the next decade.”
In the meantime he said that European Council last month tasked Croatia to start the work forward defining a Council position on the Conference on the Future of Europe. “We are fully committed to take over this important role, and identify Council’s position on the content, scope, composition and functioning of the Conference and to engage in this regard with other EU institutions.”
As far as Brexit is concerned he said that “We expect that the orderly withdrawal will take place by the end of January. Upon withdrawal Croatia will take all the necessary steps in the Council to promptly proceed with the negotiations on the future relations with the UK.”
At the end of the presentation Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric said the following: “I would like to mention that the Croatian Prime Minister Plenkovic and French President Macron met in Paris on the 7th of January to discuss the EU enlargement process and to jointly find the solutions to open accession negotiations for North Macedonia and Albania. During its EU Presidency, Croatia wants to take a stimulating, motivating and supportive role for its neighboring countries, as it believes that the European perspective has no alternative.”
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