By implementing political and social reforms at a time of economic crisis, Croatia has shown that it has the will and political courage, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide has said as quoted by the Norwegian English-language newspaper The Nordic Page on Wednesday.
"I'm impressed that Croatia has succeeded in implementing a very comprehensive program of political and social reform in a time of economic crisis. This shows both the will and political courage," Eide said.
The Norwegian Ambassador to Croatia, Henrik Ofstad, recalled that Norway had supported Croatia's EU and NATO membership bids from the outset because that was important for stability in the Balkans. "Croatia's EU membership will have an important role in the stabilization problem in the region," he said, noting that the main reason why Croatia had aspired for EU membership was "a quest for security".
"Croats feel they are better protected now than they were before they joined in the Union. Being a member of NATO and the EU in this region means a lot. One thing is dollars and cents, but it's also about a sense of belonging, and being a member of a partnership that will support them in any situation," Ofstad said.
He, however, added that the Croats should not expect a change overnight as a result of EU membership. "It is true that the EU will contribute funds, but only if Croatia has good projects," he concluded.
