Address
by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Goran
Granic
Mr President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Allow me
to greet you on behalf of the Croatian Government and especially in
the name of President Mr Stjepan Mesic, who could not attend this meeting
due to his scheduled visit to Germany.
First of
all I would like to congratulate our Macedonian hosts on excellent organisation
and timely initiative by President Trajkovski to convene an extraordinary
gathering of the SEECP statesmen here in Skopje. This presidential action
demonstrates that the Macedonian SEECP chairmanship is pro-active and
inclined to find solutions for the stability in the region.
In her observer
status Croatia is carefully following the activities of the SEECP and
we are taking an active part in all its political meetings, which shows
our keen interest in the ongoing co-operation efforts in South-East
Europe. The regional co-operation has been outlined as one of the Government's
foreign policy priority areas, so we attach a great importance to the
co-operation initiatives such as die SEECP.
There is
no doubt that the SEECP has firmly positioned itself among a number
of organisations and initiatives aimed towards enhancing the co-operation
and stability in the region. We have always considered this forum as
an opportunity for discussing regional and bilateral issues of common
interest, thus intensifying the dynamics of our relations.
Mr. President,
I would like
to stress three important points: 1) New development in FRY, 2) Implementation
of the Stability Pact and 3) Zagreb Summit.
The changes
which have taken place in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia after the
24th September elections have indeed created a new set of opportunities
for the entire region in the fields of democracy, economic co-operation
and security building. Croatia welcomes the election of President Vojislav
Kostunica as a major step forward in the process of further democratisation
of FRY.
It is a
well known fact that the former Belgrade regime was the main source
of instability and a generator of crises. Its expansionist, undemocratic
and aggressive policy was a cause of great human sufferings and material
destruction. It undermined peace and security and led to huge human
losses, a massive refugee crisis and large-scale war damage in Croatia,
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
We hope that
the new Serbian leadership will take quick actions to clearly demonstrate
that such behaviour is now a matter of the past and that Serbia is willing
to embark on the path of democracy, good- neighbourliness and regional
co-operation.
Croatia
stands ready to speed up the normalisation of our relations with FRY.
At the same time, we hope that the new FRY leadership will openly renounce
me policy of the former regime. This includes a change of position in
regard to the questions of succession and legal continuity of the former
SFRY. In this connection, we expect that the new FRY will assume a novel
political stand being one of the five equally legitimate successor states,
thus paving the way to the solution of the long outstanding issues.
We also believe that the new developments in FRY will now lead towards
the successful solution of the security issue of Prevlaka.
For all of
us in this region it is more than obvious that without a democratic
and stable FRY .we cannot be certain about in our own security and,
most importantly, prosperity for our countries and Europe as a whole.
It goes
without saying that FRY ought to be included in the international community
in accordance with the same procedures and under the same conditions,
which were applied to all the other countries in the region.
Namely,
die well-known international obligations such as full support to the
implementation of the Dayton Accords, or co-operation with the ICTY
and other commitments cannot be ignored in the case of FRY.
We believe
that this is a constructive contribution of the SEECP in supporting
the new FRY authorities and above all a strong personal message to President
Kostunica.
Mr President,
I would like
to use this opportunity to greet Mr Bodo Hombach, Special Co-ordinator
of the Stability Pact. We express our highest appreciation of the efforts
he and his colleagues are so persistently taking in the interest and
to the benefit of the countries in this region.
From the
outset of the Stability Pact, Croatia has-been very active and enthusiastic
about this key political process designed to enhance regional co-operation
and facilitate the integration of the South-East European countries
into the Euro-Atlantic structures.
I wish to
recall that Zagreb hosted an impressive first Stability Pact Parliamentarian
Summit in September. In our view this successful meeting has broadened
the democratic legitimacy of the entire process, since the parliamentarians
extended unequivocal political backing to the goals and objectives of
the Pact.
We hope
that the support voiced in Zagreb will serve as an incentive to the
implementation of the Stability Pact projects. In tills respect, I would
like to mention that Croatia is looking forward to her forthcoming co-chairmanship
of the Working Table III, as one of the areas, where we have already
started a number of concrete initiatives.
The most
recent one was the opening of the Regional Arms Control Verification
and Implementation Assistance Centre (so-called RACVIAC) in the vicinity
of Zagreb with a substantial financial and technical assistance of the
German Government. We are convinced that die RACVIAC activities will
enhance the security in the region.
However,
the most relevant contribution to the security in the region has been
the change in Belgrade. Hence we are hopeful that the inclusion of FRY
in the Stability Pact at the extraordinary session of the Regional Table
in Bucharest will be a significant incentive for strengthening of democracy
in this country.
Ladies and
Gentlemen,
The decision
of the French Presidency of the European Union to organise a Sun-unit
between the European Union and the countries included in the Stabilisation
and Association Process has indeed been of paramount political importance.
In this
connection,! am very pleased that Mr. Javier Solana, EU's High Representative
for Common Foreing and Security Policy, is here with us today.I would
like to thank him for the constructive report on the SAP countries,
wich he drafted with Commissioner Patten, and moreover for his very
frequent presence and reassuring political messages to the countries
of South-East Europe.
We believe
that the Zagreb Summit comes in a critical moment for the entire region.
Namely, this biggest political event for the countries involved in the
SAP will be held in a highly favourable climate. This enables the Summit
to boost the EU perspective of the countries participating in the SAP
to a degree almost unthinkable only a couple of months ago.
In Zagreb,
the European Union and the SAP countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Macedonia and FRY) will come together to start a new era in
their relationship.
The Summit
will be the beginning of a different understanding and new perception
of the countries concerned. It will mark a clear European perspective
creating conditions on the highest political level that may reinforce
Cologne and Santa Maria da Feira European Council conclusions.
Also, it
will be an opportunity to take stock of the obligations that each country
has to fulfil in order to get closer to the EU on the basis of individual
achievements and merits. Moreover, it will be another occasion where
need and willingness for an increased regional co-operation will be
demonstrated. The Summit will also be a solemn occasion for Macedonia,
which will initial the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with
the EU, whereas Croatia and EU will formally launch the negotiations
on SAA.
In conclusion,
we hope that the Zagreb Summit will bring an added value to the implementation
of the Stability Pact and the Stabilisation and Association Process
as cornerstones designed to facilitate the inclusion of the countries
concerned in the European mainstream.
Thank you
for your attention.
