SETimes.comDiplomatic Diary: Croatia calls for regional co-operation
16/03/2010
Croatia urges dialogue to overcome conflicts among states from the former Yugoslavia. Also in diplomatic news: Macedonia's foreign minister visits Kosovo, while Serbia and Albania sign an anti-terrorism agreement.
Croatian President Ivo Josipovic on Friday (March 12th) urged all former Yugoslav republics to settle problems that have emerged since the country collapsed. All leaders of former Yugoslav states should "sit at one table and start talks", Josipovic said at a joint news conference with Slovenian counterpart Danilo Turk in Brdo, near Ljubljana. Turk said Josipovic's visit marked the beginning of a new chapter in Slovenian and Croatian relations.
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Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki kicked off a visit to Kosovo on Monday (March 15th) to open the Macedonian Embassy in Pristina and meet with Kosovo government officials. Macedonia and Kosovo established diplomatic relations in October 2009. "Economic and energy perspectives are our priorities and by focusing on these two areas, we will send concrete messages to our citizens and to regional countries," Milososki said.
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Albania should settle its political crisis by Thursday (March 18th), when EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele is expected to visit the country, European Commission (EC) Enlargement Directorate General Director Pierre Mirel said last week. He called for a constructive approach towards the opposition's demands to investigate alleged irregularities in the June 2009 general elections. The political crisis in Albania unfolded after those elections, which the opposition Socialist Party insists were manipulated.
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Serbia and Albania are ready to improve ties to join the EU, despite conflicting views on Kosovo's independence. "A new era in relations" would be a "cornerstone in the region's stability", Albanian Foreign Minister Ilir Meta said in Belgrade on Thursday (March 11th), during the first high-level meeting between officials of the two countries in more than five years. Serbia's Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic called Meta's visit "historic". Serbia and Albania signed an agreement to fight organised crime and trafficking during the visit.
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Estonia supports the further enlargement of the EU and is ready to share its experience in the integration process with Serbia, Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said on March 9th during talks with visiting Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic. Ansip said that his country is interested in co-operation in the areas of information technology, education and energy.
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Bilateral disputes should not hamper the EU integration process, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic and his Macedonian counterpart Antonio Milososki said on March 9th after meeting in Zagreb. Jandrokovic reaffirmed Croatia's support for Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic integration and voiced hope that the long-standing name dispute with Greece will be resolved soon.
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Turkey and Albania are becoming strategic partners and important stability and security factors in the Balkans, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on March 9th during Albanian Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli's two-day visit to Turkey. She also met with counterpart Mehmet Ali Sahin and attended a world summit on women's rights in Ankara.
(Various sources -- 09/03/10-16/03/10)