Croatia and Macedonia to co-operate more closely on the path to EU membership

Croatia, an official candidate for EU
membership with a target date of 2007, has offered to give a
helping hand to Macedonia in its preparations for EU
integration.

“Croatia, which will be ready to join
EU in 2007, is going to share its experience with
Macedonia,” pledged the Croatian Minister of European
Integration following two days of negotiations in the
Macedonian capital on 27 August. 

The Croation minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and the
Macedonian Vice-Premier Radmila Sekerinska have resolved
to work towards keeping the enlargement process on top of
the EU’s agenda especially in view of growing debate on
the 2007-13 financial perspectives. 

Macedonian President Branko Crvenkovski informed
Grabar-Kitarovic that Macedonia was well on the way
towards fulfilling the obligations under the so-called
Framework Agreement, designed to strengthen the civic
character of the state and to extend the rights of ethnic
minorities. Following the completion of the
decentralisation process Macedonia would be close to
fulfilling the political requirements of the Copenhagen
criteria, said Crvenkovski. 

Following its application for EU
membership in March 2003, Croatia was recognised as a
candidate country in June 2004. Macedonia submitted its
application for accession in March 2004. Slovenia joined
the EU in May. 

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