Croatia celebrates 20 years of independence with a birthday offering from the EU, which on the eve of the historic anniversary Friday agreed to embrace the Balkans country as its 28th member. In a move raising hopes for other Balkans nations knocking at the European Union door, leaders of the bloc gathered at a summit adopted a declaration commending Croatia for its “intensive efforts, which have allowed accession negotiations to reach their final stage.”
After six years of tough talks, EU leaders called for “all necessary decisions for the conclusion of the accession negotiations with Croatia by the end of June 2011” — a de facto authorisation for Zagreb to join the world’s biggest market. If the process goes without hitch, Croatia will join the EU on July 1, 2013, as proposed by the European Commission.
“This is an historic moment,” said Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, admitting that arduous efforts to win membership had taken place in an equally difficult context as enthusiasm foundered amid the economic crisis and a failing appetite for enlargement. “We persevered and could serve as a model for other southeastern European nations seeking membership,” she told journalists.
“We feel we are coming home.” The endorsement comes as Croatia celebrates 20 years of independence from Yugoslavia and 16 years since the end of the bloody inter-ethnic war that ensued. At the request of some EU nations which believe Bulgaria and Romania were given entry before being fully ready, a monitoring system will be put in place to ensure that Croatia follows through on reforms in the judicial system between the end of negotiations and its accession.
