Bildt: Balkans can count on EU
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt says that the vision of a free and democratic Europe applies to the whole continent and that SE Europe can count on support.
Friday, 10.07.2009.
12:35
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt says that the vision of a free and democratic Europe applies to the whole continent and that SE Europe can count on support. Bildt, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, told the Croatia Summit in Dubrovnik that there were ups and downs on the European path, but that “the goal is achievable provided there is good will.“ Bildt: Balkans can count on EU New Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said that Croatia advocated a Europe that would have the strength and willpower to clear bilateral problems from the EU’s table and resume accession talks with Zagreb. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said that bilateral problems should not be an obstacle to South East European countries’ path to Euro-Atlantic integration. Speaking at the introductory part of the summit, he said that it was paramount that the path to the EU and NATO remained open to all the countries in the region. Hungarian President Gordon Bajnai said that Croatia was just a few steps from the EU, warning that impeding its path to the EU would be concerning for neighboring countries too. The conference is being attended by heads of state and government, together with senior officials from European and North American states and representatives of international organizations. The summit is continuing with a debate on the region’s economic development, new investment, energy cooperation and Euro-Atlantic expansion to South-East Europe. Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic is a notable absentee from the summit after he was refused the possibility of addressing the summit’s opening ceremony. Croatian counterpart Gordan Jandrokovic told reporters before the start of proceedings that the reasons for Jeremic’s absence were of a protocol nature. Carl Bildt (FoNet, archive)
Bildt: Balkans can count on EU
New Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said that Croatia advocated a Europe that would have the strength and willpower to clear bilateral problems from the EU’s table and resume accession talks with Zagreb.U.S. Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg said that bilateral problems should not be an obstacle to South East European countries’ path to Euro-Atlantic integration.
Speaking at the introductory part of the summit, he said that it was paramount that the path to the EU and NATO remained open to all the countries in the region.
Hungarian President Gordon Bajnai said that Croatia was just a few steps from the EU, warning that impeding its path to the EU would be concerning for neighboring countries too.
The conference is being attended by heads of state and government, together with senior officials from European and North American states and representatives of international organizations.
The summit is continuing with a debate on the region’s economic development, new investment, energy cooperation and Euro-Atlantic expansion to South-East Europe.
Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić is a notable absentee from the summit after he was refused the possibility of addressing the summit’s opening ceremony. Croatian counterpart Gordan Jandroković told reporters before the start of proceedings that the reasons for Jeremić’s absence were of a protocol nature.
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