Croatia’s Entry into the EU is Important for the Entire Neighborhood

Former Serbian President Boris Tadić congratulated Croatia on its entry into the EU on Saturday, claiming that it is important for neighboring countries and assessed that, following the Brussels agreement between Belgrade and Pristina, there are no longer reasons for the Serbian president not to participate in joint summits and forums.

During a break at the international conference of the European Forum for Democracy and Solidarity in Zagreb, organized by the SDP and the “New Society” association, Tadić, who is also a former member of the Serbian Democratic Party (DS), refused to comment on the statement of Serbian President Tomislav Nikolić that he would not attend the celebration of Croatia’s entry into the EU if the President of Kosovo would be present.

“But what I see is that, after the Brussels agreement and the achieved solution for Kosovo, it becomes completely counterproductive not to participate in joint summits and forums. It is completely unnecessary,” said Tadić.

In response to a journalist’s claim that Tadić, while he was Serbian president, did not attend the inauguration of Croatian President Josipović, he replied that he did not attend the summit where U.S. President Barack Obama participated.

“I would have liked to have the situation that Nikolić has today, as it would allow me greater maneuvering space. However, politics depends on the state, not just on the decisions of the president,” he added. He assessed Croatia’s entry into the EU as a “historic moment.”

“This is a historic moment, and now the question is whether we will take advantage of that moment. It does not depend only on the aspiring countries but also on the EU itself, which is facing significant problems,” he said.

Tadić also assessed that Croatia is entering the EU at a difficult time for the EU and that it will not bring the acceleration to Croatia that some countries that joined the EU in 2004 experienced, as citizens will expect. “But it is up to the Croatian government and local authorities to utilize the funds available to accelerate the development process,” he said.

When asked whether Serbia, after the traumas that Croatia has gone through, will have to go through an even tougher path, Tadić replied: “People are resilient, as are the regions,” and when asked if the Union is exaggerating with its demands on new members, he answered affirmatively, but also added that this is a reality that must be accepted and faced, noting that each new member has increasingly more criteria.

Reflecting on Croatian-Serbian relations in the context of EU accession, Tadić said that these relations will improve in a certain sense, “but on the other hand, there will be new problems.”

According to him, Croatia is taking on obligations imposed by the EU itself, which will have certain negative implications primarily in cooperation with CEFTA countries, especially with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Tadić believes that the redefinition of trade and traffic will have consequences for the relations between Serbia and Croatia and that one must be “extremely realistic” because Croatia is taking on new roles and new obligations.

“On the other hand, Croatia will be prominent when it comes to the EU’s regional policy, and it will be necessary to have a higher, different, and better frequency of our bilateral relations. We are entering a new space that will require a redefinition of relations and perhaps a different philosophy in the time ahead of us. Now it is up to the representatives of the states to find the right and practical solutions. There will be challenges,” said the former Serbian president.