British Minister for Europe David Lidington said in Zagreb on Tuesday he hoped the British parliament would launch the process of ratifying Croatia's Treaty of Accession with the European Union soon after the summer recess, stressing that a bill on the ratification would have the British government's firm support and praising Croatia's efforts in reform implementation.
Considering that ratification in the British Parliament takes some time, Lidington said he was confident that during a debate, MPs would take into account the European Commission's progress report on Croatia, which will be released in October.
London is looking forward to having Croatia join the European Union as a full member, Lidington said after his talks with Croatian Justice Minister Orsat Miljenic.
Lidington, who was on his first official visit to Croatia, said the issues of justice reforms and improvement of courts and their work in Croatia was a very important part of the process of joining the bloc.
I have to say that I am impressed with the changes the Croatian government, notably the Justice Ministry, has implemented, the Briton said, adding that he was encouraged by the determination of the Croatian justice minister to continue implementing reforms.
The continuation of reform implementation is in everyone's interest . Lidington said, adding that reforms were also important for attracting investments.
Miljenic told reporters that he and Lidington also talked about future bilateral cooperation in the judiciary. They also discussed the so-called electronic judiciary.
During his stay in Croatia, Lidington is scheduled to hold talks with representatives of the Croatian government, parliament and the civil society.
