Germany shares the conviction and optimism that Croatia will manage to fulfil the remaining tasks and enter the European Union on July 1 next year as planned, and the criticism raised is not a question of good bilateral relations but setting the standards for future EU enlargement, Bundestag Speaker Norbert Lammert told the press in Berlin on Friday after meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic at the end of his two-day working visit to Germany.
Speaking in a newspaper interview about ten days ago, Lammert questioned Croatia's readiness for EU membership, triggering a wave of criticism in Germany directed at the planned admission of Croatia to the EU.
There is a treaty between Croatia and the European Union. The EU promised that Croatia would become a member on July 1, 2013 if it fulfilled the necessary requirements and Croatia pledged to do so. We share the conviction and optimism that Croatia will succeed in it, Lammert said.
Germany has been following and supporting Croatia from the outset. It is not a question of good bilateral relations but setting the standards for all future enlargements, he added.
Lammert said he was aware that Croatia had had more demanding accession negotiations than previous membership candidates and had had to meet more requirements, but noted that it was normal to review every candidate, including Croatia.
I believe we will enter almost completely ready, because experience shows that no one ever was completely ready, including the countries that have been members for 30 years, Milanovic said.
Milanovic was in Berlin to attend a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations. A formal dinner that followed the celebration was attended by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said she he no doubt that Croatia would carry out the remaining ten tasks identified in the European Commission's progress report and that it would be ready by July 1.
