Croatia "ready for EU in 2009", says Mesić

Croatia will be ready to join the EU in 2009, Croatian President Stjepan Mesić has vowed.

Izvor: BIRN

Wednesday, 16.07.2008.

11:13

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Croatia will be ready to join the EU in 2009, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has vowed. Moreover, its membership will not be delayed by the bloc's current institutional "crisis", Croatia "ready for EU in 2009", says Mesic "I understand European countries, including France, which intend to solve the European Union's institutional problems before proceeding to any new accessions… [But] we will speed up the rhythm of our reforms and be ready in 2009 to join the EU as its 28th member," Mesic told French daily Le Figaro in an interview published on Tuesday. "The current situation will not discourage us," he added. Following Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty in a referendum last month, some EU leaders, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country now heads the bloc’s rotating presidency, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have said that no further EU enlargement will take place until the document is ratified. "I will veto any enlargement as long as there will be no new institutions," Sarkozy said again on Tuesday. Asked if he could imagine his country joining the EU without the bloc having dealt with the Irish ‘no’, Mesic said: "No, the EU will find a way out of this crisis. If 26 EU states ratify Lisbon [treaty]… they will find a solution for the 27th … The European institutional crisis will be solved." For his part, Slovenia's foreign minister, Dmitrij Rupel, expressed doubts earlier this week that Zagreb will manage to close all the chapters of its EU accession negotiations package by the end of the term of the current European Commission, in October 2009, as planned. "With regards to opening the chapters, probably there will be no problems, but as regards closing the chapters probably there will be as they concern complicated issues," Rupel said. But Mesic promised that the planned timetable can still be respected. "For our part, we intend to close all negotiations chapters before the end of 2009. Our efforts will be rewarded," he said. Accession talks were launched with Croatia in 2005, and the country is hoping to become full EU member by 2011 at the latest. It has so far opened 20 out of its 35-chapter EU negotiations package, while two have been provisionally closed.

Croatia "ready for EU in 2009", says Mesić

"I understand European countries, including France, which intend to solve the European Union's institutional problems before proceeding to any new accessions… [But] we will speed up the rhythm of our reforms and be ready in 2009 to join the EU as its 28th member," Mešić told French daily Le Figaro in an interview published on Tuesday.

"The current situation will not discourage us," he added.

Following Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty in a referendum last month, some EU leaders, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country now heads the bloc’s rotating presidency, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, have said that no further EU enlargement will take place until the document is ratified.

"I will veto any enlargement as long as there will be no new institutions," Sarkozy said again on Tuesday.

Asked if he could imagine his country joining the EU without the bloc having dealt with the Irish ‘no’, Mesić said: "No, the EU will find a way out of this crisis. If 26 EU states ratify Lisbon [treaty]… they will find a solution for the 27th … The European institutional crisis will be solved."

For his part, Slovenia's foreign minister, Dmitrij Rupel, expressed doubts earlier this week that Zagreb will manage to close all the chapters of its EU accession negotiations package by the end of the term of the current European Commission, in October 2009, as planned.

"With regards to opening the chapters, probably there will be no problems, but as regards closing the chapters probably there will be as they concern complicated issues," Rupel said.

But Mesić promised that the planned timetable can still be respected.

"For our part, we intend to close all negotiations chapters before the end of 2009. Our efforts will be rewarded," he said.

Accession talks were launched with Croatia in 2005, and the country is hoping to become full EU member by 2011 at the latest.

It has so far opened 20 out of its 35-chapter EU negotiations package, while two have been provisionally closed.

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