Merkel praises Croatia's EU efforts

Aug 22, 2011, 18:41 GMT

Zagreb - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday praised Croatia for the work it had done to become the European Union's 28th member state, describing it as an example for other Western Balkan nations.

But Merkel, speaking after a meeting in Zagreb with Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, also urged the government to continue reforming.

'I am very happy that Croatia will become the 28th EU member state,' Merkel said.

She said Croatia's completion of accession talks with the EU was a 'huge success' and welcomed the 'courageous steps' taken by the authorities in their crackdown on corruption and organized crime.

However, more needs to be done to ensure the security of investors, Merkel said. 'That path must continue, because business requires legal security, transparency and predictability.'

With her visit to Zagreb, Merkel kicked off a mini-tour of Croatia and Serbia, where she was due to fly after having dinner with Kosor.

Croatia has concluded its accession talks with the EU and is expected to join in July 2013 - only the second Western Balkan member after Slovenia.

Merkel said Croatia's accession should send a positive signal to other aspiring EU member states in the region, but warned them that they must 'meet all the conditions.'

'We want all the countries in the region to have a European perspective - you (Croatia) already have it,' she said.

Croatia should also become more involved in resolving the issues that hamper the region's quicker progress toward EU.

Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Macedonia, Albania and Europe's newest state, Kosovo, are all hoping to join the EU.

But Serbia is locked in denial over Kosovo's secession, Bosnia is struggling amid feuding of its politicians and Macedonia is hampered by a row over its name with Greece - as much as by lagging reforms.

During her meetings in Belgrade on Tuesday, Merkel was expected to be blunt in her talks with Serbian President Boris Tadic and tell him that Serbia must come to terms with the loss of Kosovo.

With its mostly ethnic Albanian population, Kosovo split from Serbia in 2008, after fighting its rule in 1999, and was quickly recognized by the leading Western powers, including the United States and 22 out of 27 EU nations.

But Belgrade regards Kosovo as its soil and refuses to treat it as an equal partner.

In July, talks broke off when Serbia refused to allow Kosovo goods through its borders. That resulted in a trade war, then tension and violence over border crossings in the ethnic Serb-dominated northern Kosovo.

With polls due in 2012 and under the pressure of economic crisis and growing euro-scepticism at home, Tadic hopes that the EU will officially recognize Serbia as a membership candidate in October and also set the date for the start of the accession talks.

Sources from the German government estimated that the former is likely, but the latter not.

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