German Minister with Grlić-Radman: Bosnia and Herzegovina was also a topic

(Patria) - Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Johann Wadephul is on a working visit to the Republic of Croatia where he met with Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlić-Radman, and they also spoke about the Western Balkan countries, including Bosnia and Herzegovina. The German minister emphasized that Croatia's role in the accession of Western Balkan countries to the European Union is crucial and stated that "we must not leave our neighborhood to autocrats".

Grlić-Radman said that Germany has been a partner for years that understands the importance of the Western Balkans' perspective and will not only bring these countries closer to the EU but also strengthen good neighborly relations and cooperation, which are the main principles of the EU.

"In this regard, I expect the Western Balkan countries to promote regional stability and good neighborly relations because Croatia is the only country in the EU that has experience of living and coexisting with the Western Balkan countries, as we lived in one former state; now, as good neighbors, we need to develop good neighborly relations in the interest of our citizens. Croatia has extended a hand to all Western Balkan countries when it comes to EU membership, and Croatia expects all of them to fulfill the conditions and criteria that are valued based on their own achievements," said Grlić-Radman.

He emphasized that Croatia worked "hard, but diligently and actively, not only on the criteria but also on the benchmarks that were the first generation of additional criteria, but their effort and hard work paid off".

"Today, we are happy that Croatia can serve as an example for the Western Balkan countries. Given that EU membership is a strategic goal, Croatia expects candidate countries to show appropriate political will, i.e., commitment to values and principles that contribute to preserving peace, stability, and security in the regional and European context. I emphasized the importance of keeping BiH on the European path and ensuring its long-term stability, for which respecting constitutional principles and the equal rights of the three constituent peoples is of particular importance, and I spoke about this with Minister Wadephul. Because Croatia knows best the multinational character of BiH, which is a multi-ethnic miniature for which it is necessary to adhere to the spirit and letter of the Dayton Agreement, which in principle stated one state, two entities, three constituent peoples, and other citizens. And precisely this model was designed to prevent the dominance of any nation. Croatia will advocate for Croats, who are outvoted and do not have their representative, to return to the principles prescribed by the Dayton Agreement. They must have the right, like the other two constituent peoples - the right to political participation," said Grlić-Radman.

German Minister Johann Wadephul said that Croatia is an example of how a country can change when there is determination and political will, and that it is an example for many others.

"Now we need new momentum for enlargement for Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkan countries. We want Croatia to play an active role in shaping this process, and at the same time, we must internally reform the EU so that it is strong and capable of acting, democratically consolidated, and responsive to current challenges," said Wadephul.

He emphasized that accession to the EU is not just a technical process but a geopolitical issue.

"We must not leave our neighborhood to autocrats who try to influence through corruption and disinformation or lead us into new dependencies. The path to the EU is based on clear criteria that must be followed, but the goal should always be accession to the EU in the end. We must support candidates with our advice and help them with actions. We must decisively advance the processes, and Croatia's role is essential here. You are familiar with the efforts of the accession process, and that makes you bridge builders towards the Western Balkans. Croatia has shown that the European path is something that has paid off for your citizens. With your voice, experience, and mediating role, you are key to Europe being able to grow further, not only in terms of the number of member states but also in terms of strength and unity and mutual respect," the German minister concluded.