The Croatian and German foreign ministers, Gordan Jandrokovic and Guido Westerwelle, who met in the southern Croatian Adriatic resort of Dubrovnik on Wednesday, announced a forthcoming visit by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Croatia and expressed satisfaction with the high level of relations between the two countries.
During his talks with Westerwelle in Dubrovnik, Jandrokovic expressed satisfaction with the announcement of Merkel's visit and her meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor. After the closed-door talks in Dubrovnik, Jandrokovic said that he and his guest had confirmed the high level of Croatian-German relations and the two countries' willingness to advance them. "I have thanked the German government and Minister Westerwelle for the support they have offered us on our path to the full membership in the EU," Jandrokovic told reporters.
He reiterated that the EU accession negotiations were demanding and complex and that Croatia had managed to successfully finalise them. The minister expressed hope that the process of ratification of Croatia's EU accession treaty would be successfully concluded so that Croatia could enter the EU on 1 July 2013.
The two ministers agreed that Croatia had benefitted from that process and that Croatia's success would produce a positive effect on other countries in Southeast Europe.
Westerwelle said that Germany had supported Croatia all the time on its EU road. We are looking forward to seeing Croatia in the EU, as its admission enriches the EU and is in our mutual interest, the German minister said. We have many topics to discuss, particularly economic ones, where we see a great opportunity for cooperation, Westerwelle said.
During Westerwelle's stay in Dubrovnik, the two ministers went sightseeing in this world-famous Adriatic resort.
