BRUSSLES, April 21 (Hina) - Croatia on Monday opened negotiations on the transport and energy policies within its membership talks with the European Union.

BERLIN, April 21 (Hina) - Croatia could become the 28th member of the European Union by 2011 while Turkey could join the bloc in ten to 15 years, provided that the necessary reforms were pushed through, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said in an interview published Monday and carried by France Presse.

BRUSSELS, April 8 (Hina) - Croatia is ready to do all that is necessary to meet the required criteria for membership of the European Union and to become its member in 2010, the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Gordan Jandrokovic, said in Brussels on Tuesday after meeting Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn.

ZAGREB, April 8 (Hina) - The PHARE 2005 twinning project "Enhancement of administrative capacity in maritime safety" was presented at the Croatian Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure in Zagreb on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS, April 2 - The European Union Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) said on Wednesday that Croatia had met the benchmarks for the opening of negotiations in three policy chapters.

ZAGREB, March 20 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Gordan Jandrokovic told Reuters news agency that Croatia was sure it would succeed in meeting conditions for its admission to the European Union.

Zagreb, 19 March 2008 - State Secretary for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Bianca Matković was appointed at the Croatian Government’s session on 19 March 2008 the chief co-ordinator for monitoring the activities in fulfilling all of the obligations in Croatia’ EU accession.

19 March 2008 - The time before the summer is the crucial period for Croatia if the country wants to wrap up its EU entry talks by the end of 2009, and if it fails it will be hard to predict when the negotiations would be completed, the head of the national committee on monitoring Croatia's EU entry talks, Vesna Pusic said on Wednesday.

13 March 2008 - The European Commission will announce this autumn that the target date for wrapping up Croatia's European Union accession negotiations is the autumn of 2009, provided that Croatia meets the requirements, EC President Jose Manuel Barroso said in Brussels on Thursday after talks with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.

March 6 - Croatia can wrap up European Union accession negotiations in the first half of 2009 if it does its share of work, including the settlement of the Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone (EFPZ) issue, otherwise the negotiations can even be blocked, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said on Thursday.

3 March 2008 - Montenegro on Monday joined the EU Programme on Entrepreneurship and Innovations for 2007-2013 as the fourth country among the candidates and potential candidates. The programme was first joined by Croatia, then by Macedonia and Turkey, and now by Montenegro. European Commission Vice-President Guenter Verheugen congratulated Montenegro on joining the programme.

1 January 2008 Brussels - Slovenia officially took over the EU presidency from Portugal, thus becoming the first “new“ member state to be presiding over the European Union. During its half year term Slovenia will focus on its 5 priorities – signing of the Treaty of Lisbon, continuation of the Lisbon strategy, combat against climate changes and the development of new energy policy, strengthening of the European perspective of the Western Balkans and resolving the Kosovo issue.

Lisbon, 13 December 2007  - The Treaty of Lisbon was signed at the ceremony at the Monastery of St Jerome in the presence of heads of EU member states and their foreign ministers, president of the European parliament and president of the European Commission.

4 December 2007 - Outgoing Bosnian Prime Minister Nikola Spiric and European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn initialled a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union in Sarajevo on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS, Nov 28 -  The European Union's next president, Slovenia, expects Croatia to close some chapters at two accession conferences in the first half of 2008, Slovene Ambassador to the EU Igor Sencar said in Brussels on Wednesday.

The Plitvice Lakes, 13 November 2007 - Assistant Minister at the Directorate for International Economic Co-operation Andrea Gustović Ercegovac participated in the 18^th meeting of the National EU Accession Forum on the topic “Interest Associations of Agricultural Manufacturers as Basis for the Development of Agricultural Production”, held 12 November 2007 at the Plitvice Lakes. Along with Assistant Minister Gustović Ercegovac, also participating in the National Forum was Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Ivan Hodalić.

Brussels, November 6, 2007  - Croatia meets the political criteria, it has strengthened democracy and the rule of law, and achieved strong economic growth and macroeconomic stability, but needs to accelerate the reform of public administration and the judiciary and step up the fight against corruption, the European Commission said in its annual Progress Report on Tuesday.

Lisbon, October 19, 2007 – The European Union has agreed the precise text of its new Reform Treaty to be formally signed off on 13 December in the Portuguese capital. Portuguese Prime Minister José Sócrates announced that a deal has been struck, describing it as "victory for Europe". The decision effectively ends a six-year long period of trying to internally reform.

Zagreb, 14 June 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić. M. Sc., participated in the panel discussion themed “Bruxelles is far away, Europe is near” in Burgenland, Republic of Austria, on Wednesday, 13 June 2007, and met with representatives of the Croatian minority in Burgenland.

Zagreb, 13 June 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Ms. Marija Pejčinović Burić met on Wednesday, 13 June 2007, Under-Secretary of State for EU issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia Mr. Normunds Popens.

Zagreb, 11 June 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Ms. Marija Pejčinović Burić participated on Monday, 11 June 2007, at the opening of the Office of the Adriatic Euroregion in Brussels, Kingdom of Belgium. The opening was also attended by Ambassador and Cheif of the Croatian Mission to the European Union Mr. Branko Baričević, and Croatian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium Ms. Ljerka Alajbeg.

Zagreb, 5 June 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić met on 4 June 2007 in Paris with the Secretary General of the French Republic’s Secretariat General of European Affairs, Pascale Andreani.

Zagreb, 4 June 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić participated on 4 June 2007 in Paris at the annual Plenary Session of the Australia Group.

Zagreb, 1 June 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić received on 31 May 2007 the representatives of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Club’s Niedersachsen Regional Group, led by Enak Ferlemann, Chairman of the Parliamentary Club’s Regional Group.

Zagreb, 28 May 2007 - Minister Grabar-Kitarović participated in 14th meeting of National EU Accession Forum on “Lifelong Education of Agricultural Manufacturers and Rural Population” Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović participated in the 14th meeting of the National EU Accession Forum on “Lifelong Education of Agricultural Manufacturers and Rural Population”, held 28 May 2007 in Beli Manastir.

Zagreb, 24 May 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović-Burić received on Wednesday 23 May 2007 President of the International Criminal Court Philip Kirsch.

Zagreb, 23 May 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović-Burić received on Wednesday, 23 May 2007, delegation of the Committee on EU Affairs of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, which was led by its president Anton Kokalj.

Zagreb, 23 May 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović-Burić held on Tuesday, 22 May 2007, in the city hall of Umag a lecture titled “Croatia on its way to the European Union – the process of negotiations“.

Zagreb, 22 May 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović-Burić held on Monday, 21 May 2007, a lecture titled “Croatia on the path to the EU“ to students of Master of European Studies programme at the Faculty of Political Science in Zagreb.

Zagreb, 14 May 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Marija Pejčinović-Burić received on Monday, 14 May 2007, representatives of the delegation from Baden Wurttemberg CDU/CSU parliamentary club, which was led by the president of the state parliamentary club Georg Brunnhuber.

Zagreb, 8 May 2007 - As a part of the European Week, State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić held a lecture entitled “Croatia’s Road to EU – Membership Negotiations” on 8 May 2007 at the Europe House in Slavonski Brod.

Zagreb, 7 May 2007 - Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Neven Pelicarić, along with Minister of the Sea, Tourism, Transport and Development Božidar Kalmeta, participated in the 13th meeting of the National EU Accession Forum entitled “Maritime Policy in Light of the EU Accession”, which took place on 7 May 2007 at the Ceremonial Hall of the Zagreb University.

Zagreb, 25 April 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić held on Tuesday, 24 April 2007 in the Slovak Republic Slovak-Croatian consultation on accession negotiations chapter 30 – External Relations.

Zagreb, 2 April 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić received on 2 April 2007 Ukrainian Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia Markijan Lubkivsky.

Zagreb, 23 March 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić received on 23 March 2007 Ambassador of the Russian Federation Mikhail Konarovsky.

Zagreb, 14 March 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić stayed on 13 and 14 March 2007 in Berlin during her visit to the Federal Republic of Germany.

Zagreb, 12 March 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia Marija Pejčinović Burić participated on 12 March 2007 in the first meeting of the EU-Croatia Committee for Monitoring Civil Society. On this occasion she also met the President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Dimitris Dimitriadis.

Zagreb, 2 March 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić chaired on 1 and 2 March 2007 the regular Annual Meeting of Counties’ Councils for European Integration in Vukovar.

Zagreb, 20 February 2007 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić held a lecture on 19 February 2007 entitled “Croatia’s Road to the EU – the Negotiations Process” to the attendees of the 10th One-Year Professional Diplomatic Course at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

Rijeka, 19 February 2007 – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration organised the 10th meeting of the National EU Accession Forum, on the subject “Truths and Misconceptions about the EU”.

Zagreb, 11 December 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić received 8 December 2006 to working meeting Volker Hoff, the State Minister of Federal and European Affairs of the Federal State of Hessen, the Federal Republic of Germany.

Zagreb, 6 December 2006 - Minister of the Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović participated at the 9th Meeting of the National Forum on the Accession to the European Union on the subject of "Intellectual Property" in Zagreb on Wednesday, 6 December 2006.

Zagreb, 4 December 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić participated in the roundtable Germany and Croatia in the process of European unification – public diplomacy and nation image, organized by the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and Hanns Seidel Foundation on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Hanns Seidel Foundation’s activities in Croatia. The round table was held at the Goethe Institute in Zagreb today, 4th of December 2006.

Zagreb, 4 December 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić participated at the 12th European Forum in Berlin, organized by the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt on December 1 – 2, 2006. The Forum focused Europe's responsibilities in the world and expectations by different neighbouring regions.

Zagreb, 30 November 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić received to inaugural visit Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Croatia Hans Jochen Peters today, November 30, 2006.

Zagreb, 27 November 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić met 24 November 2006 with Secretary General of the European Parliament Julian Priestley.

Zagreb, 22 November 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić received 22 November 2006 to inaugural visit the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Republic of Croatia, Catharina Maria Trooster.

Zagreb, 21 November 2006 - State Secretary Marija Pejčinović Burić met 17 November 2006 with Peter Tempel, the Head of the European Department at the German Federal Foreign Office.

Zagreb, 14 November 2006 - Minister Grabar-Kitarović participated at 7th meeting of National Forum on EU Accession, entitled Indigenous ProductsMinister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović participated on Tuesday, 14 November 2006, in Požega at the 7th meeting of the National Forum on EU Accession, entitled Indigenous Products.

Zagreb, 13 November 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić and State Secretary for Political Affairs Hido Biščević received 13 November 2006 to inaugural visit the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Republic of Croatia, Lars Fredén.

Zagreb, 7 November 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić held regular consultations 6 November 2006 with the representatives of the Republic of Poland’s state authority.

Zagreb, 3 November 2006 - Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović participated at the International Parliamentary Conference entitled EU Enlargement: Perspectives for SEE Countries, held 3 November 2006 in Cavtat.

Zagreb, 31 October 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić participated at the 6th meeting of the National Forum on EU Accession on the subject of small and medium-sized enterprises, held 30 October 2006 in Čakovec

Zagreb, 23 October 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić participated 23 October 2006 at the European Commission Representation to Austria, Vienna, in a panel discussion Croatia on the Way to the EU, held as a part of the presentation of the publication of the Institute for the Danubian Space and Central Europe entitled Austria-Croatia: Friends in a United Europe.

Zagreb, 17 October 2006 - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, in co-operation with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the UK Embassy to Croatia, organised for the fourth time in a row the conference Learning about the EU, held 13 and 14 October 2006 in Brijuni.

Zagreb, 13 October 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić met 12 October 2006 in Munich, the Federal Republic of Germany, with the Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery and State Minister, Eberhard Sinner.

Zagreb, 30 September 2006 - State Secretary Pejčinović Burić met with Lithuanian Defence Minister Juozas Olekas State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić met on 30 September 2006 with the Defence Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, Juozas Olekas.

Zagreb, 29 September 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić participated as a member of the delegation led by Croatian President Stjepan Mesić at the 11th Summit of the Francophone countries’ heads of state and government, held 28 and 29 September 2006 in Bucharest, Romania.

Brussels, 26 September 2006 – The European Commission confirmed at its session in Strasbourg that Bulgaria and Romania are prepared enough to join the EU on 1 January 2007, but with a package of strict extra measures for areas that require additional progress.

Zagreb, 25 September 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić participated at the 10th International Bertelsmann Forum in Berlin, the Federal Republic of Germany, held 22 and 23 September 2006.

Zagreb, 6 September 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić co-chaired 3-5 September 2006 in Split the 3rd session of the Mixed Commission of the Republic of Croatia and the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg.

State Secretary Pejčinović Burić expressed her satisfaction with the Commission’s activities so far and the frequency of the sessions, pointing out that this form of co-operation is important for Croatia in view of its EU accession.

Zagreb, 5 July 2006 - The Secretary of State for the European Integration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Marija Pejčinović Burić, received the representatives of the Comittee for European Affaires of House of Representatives at the Parliament of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Zagreb, 4 July 2006 - On July 4, 2006  Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović received Alberto Navarro, Secretary of State for the European Union of the Kingdom of Spain. This encounter was preceded by a meeting between Secretary of State Alberto Navarro and Secretary of State for the European Integration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Europen Integration, Marija Pejčinović Burić.

Zagreb, 30 June 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration Marija Pejčinović Burić visited 27 June 2006 Düsseldorf, the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Federal Republic of Germany.

Zagreb, 28 June 2006 - State Secretary for European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić received 26 June 2006 the representatives of the Swedish Parliament’s delegation, led by Vice-Speaker Per Westerberg.

Zagreb, 14 June 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić received on Tuesday, 13 June 2006, the representatives of the delegation of the European Working Group of the Hessen State Parliament’s CDU Club of Deputies, led by Volker Hoff, the Federal State of Hessen’s Minister for Federal and European Affairs.

Zagreb, 13 June 2006 - On Monday, 12 June 2006, at the Intergovernmental Accession Conference between Croatia and the EU in Luxembourg, opened and temporarily closed the first chapter in EU membership negotiations.

Zagreb, 24 May 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić took part 23 May 2006 at the opening of the Center for European Perspective at the Jable Castle near Ljubljana, the Republic of Slovenia.

Zagreb, 19 May 2006 - State Secretary Pejčinović Burić spoke about the chronology of the Croatian-EU relations, the setting up of the contractual relations, and the full-membership negotiations process. In that regard she explained the importance of the pre-accession assistance for the candidate countries, presented Croatia’s negotiating structure, and reviewed the course of the screening process.

On that occasion the Representatives of the Enlargement Working Group held meetings with the Chief Negotiator, the Secretary of the Negotiating Team and the negotiators of more difficult chapters, at the Croatian Parliament with the President of the Committee for European Integration and the President of the National Committee for Monitoring Accession Negotiations, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration with Assistant Minster for EU and European Cooperation, as well as at the European Commission Delegation and the OSCE Mission.

Zagreb, 15 May 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić took part at the ministerial conference of the International Organization of la Francophonie on conflict prevention and human security, held in Saint-Boniface, Manitoba, Canada, 12-14 May 2006.

Zagreb, 12 May 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI and Co-Chair of the Permanent Croatian-Bavarian Commission, Marija Pejčinović Burić, met 10 May 2006 with the Commission’s newly-appointed secretary, Ministerial Councillor at the Bavarian State Chancellery, Michael Hinterdobler.

Zagreb, 8 May 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić held a speech at the conference entitled Croatian Economy’s Preparation for the EU, held at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, 8 May 2006.

Zagreb, 5 May 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Marija Pejčinović Burić, held a lecture on 5 May 2006 in Vukovar as a part of the commemoration of the EU Week in Vukovarsko-srijemska County.

Zagreb, 5 May 2006 - Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was present at the EUQUIZ finals, held on 5 May 2006 in Zagreb as part of EU week, held a speech and cheered the contestants.

Zagreb, 3 May 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić met on 3 May 2006 in Bucharest with the State Secretary at the Romanian Minister of European Integration, Leonard Orban.

Zagreb, 2 May 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić took part in Split at the seminar organised by the Splitsko-dalmatinska County, entitled SAPARD and INTERREG – the pending competitions.

Zagreb, 27 April 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić met on Thursday, 27 April 2006, with Erwin Huber, Bavarian State Minister for Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Transport and Technology of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Zagreb, 12 April 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić met on Wednesday, 12 April 2006, with Horst Mehrländer, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy of the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg.

Zagreb, 16 March 2006 - The European Parliament adopted today the resolution pursuant to the report by Elmar Brok, Chairman of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, on the European Commission’s strategic enlargement document, in which it also commented on the European perspective of the South East European countries.

Zagreb, 9 March 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović-Burić visited Madrid 6 March 2006, where she held a lecture at the International Affairs and Foreign Policy Institute (INCIPE), entitled Croatian Road to the EU Membership.

Zagreb, 3 March 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović-Burić met today, 3 March 2006, with the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Martin Erdmann.

Zagreb, 3 March 2006 - Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, as a part of her official visit to the Republic of Cyprus, met on 3 March 2006 with Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, Cypriot Parliament’s President Demetris Christofis, and Foreign Minister George Iacovou.

Zagreb, 3 March 2006 - State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović-Burić met today, 3 March 2006, with the NATO Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, Martin Erdmann.

Zagreb, February 15 and 16, 2006 – President of the European Commission,  José Manuel Durão Barroso and Enlargement Commissioner Designate, Olli Rehn visited Croatia. On the first day of their visit, they met with the prime minister of Croatia, Ivo Sanader. After the meeting, State Secretary in the Central Office for Development Strategy, Martina Dalić and Michael Leigh, Director-General for Enlargement, alongside prime minister Sanader and President of the European Commission Barroso, signed the agreement concerning the decentralisation of the Pre-accession programme.

Zagreb, 22 February 2006 - Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović received on Wednesday, 22 February 2006, to an official visit the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration, Jean Asselborn.

Berlin, February 6, 2006 – Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was on an official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, during which she met with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Zagreb, February 6, 2006 – State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić met with the delegation of the Bulgarian Parliament, Narodno Sobranje, led by its President Georgi Pirinski at the Croatian Parliament.

Zagreb, January 30, 2006 – State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI Marija Pejčinović Burić, acting as the national ISPA co-ordinator, and Vincent Degert, the Head of the European Commission’s Delegation to Croatia, signed Memoranda on financing the ISPA projects Water and Waste Water Project in Karlovac and the Rehabilitation of Vinkovci-Tovarnik-state border railway.

Athens, January 24, 2006 – Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović took part in the meeting of the SEECP (South-East European Co-operation Process) foreign ministers, held in Athens, the Hellenic Republic. The discussion reviewed the numerous topics of common interest for the region, namely the strengthening of the integration processes and various forms of co-operation with the Euro-Atlantic structures, intensifying the economic co-operation, developing the energetic and economic infrastructure, as well as the future form of regional co-operation.

Zagreb, January 23, 2006 – State Secretary for European Integration at the MFAEI, Marija Pejčinović Burić, acting as the president of the Crans Montana Forum Organisation Board, and the Forum’s president and founder Jean-Paul Carter held consultations for ambassadors accredited to Croatia and a press conference pending the 2nd Crans Montana Forum.

Zagreb, January 19, 2006 – Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović took part in this year’s first meeting of the EU members’ and acceding countries’ ambassadors accredited to the Republic of Croatia. The meeting was presided over by the Austrian Ambassador Dr. Helga Konrad. The minister presented Croatia’s foreign policy goals for 2006 and held a shorter informal talk with the ambassadors.

Zagreb, January 10, 2006 – Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović received Hungarian Foreign Minister Ferenc Somogyi to an official visit. In her speech, Minister Grabar-Kitarović said that Croatia and Hungary are two friendly countries with no outstanding issues and expressed her satisfaction with the excellent bilateral co-operation. She mentioned that the two could serve as an example of neighbourly relations, not only to the region, but globally.