The Diplomat
The Croatian Embassy celebrated its National Day and the 10th anniversary of its accession to the European Union on Thursday with a piano concert and reception at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando in Madrid.
Croatian Ambassador Nives Malenica stressed that “in just three decades, since its international recognition, Croatia has become part of the narrowest circle of countries that are both part of the very core of the European Union and the Atlantic Alliance, two key integrations of the Western world”.
“By joining the Eurozone and the Schengen area in January this year, the ambassador continued, Croatia secured the prerequisites for faster economic development, full freedom of movement for Croatian citizens within the Schengen area, and became even more accessible to millions of Europeans as a leading tourist destination. Croatia’s road to EU membership was complex. War and aggression delayed and prolonged our transition period.”
After highlighting the transformative power of EU membership, the Croatian Ambassador underlined that “it is of the utmost importance that the doors of the European Union remain open to those countries that through their dedication to the values of democracy and the rule of law and their own political will are willing to walk this path.”
“In the two crises,” the Ambassador continued, “the two biggest crises to hit the European Union in the history of European integration, the pandemic and the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the European Union has shown unprecedented institutional solidarity and a unity that we need today. More than ever, in this fast-changing world. We are aware that unity and solidarity in the rejection of Russian aggression and the strong support and assistance to Ukraine represent at the same time the fight for the defence of all the values on which the European Union is based”.
The Ambassador stressed her “feeling of pride in the fact that our bilateral relations with Spain have intensified considerably at all institutional levels in recent years, the culmination of which has been the visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain to Zagreb and subsequently of Queen Letizia”.
The Croatian ambassador ended her speech by congratulating Spain on its assumption of the Presidency of the Council of the EU and wishing it “every success in this responsible and demanding task”.
