Parliament Speaker receives Belgian Deputy PM Reynders

Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko on Thursday received Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and European Affairs Didier Reynders for talks on Croatia's upcoming accession to the European Union.

Leko said Croatia and Belgium were friends and partners, thanking Belgium for the financial and political aid it had given Croatia on its EU path. He said Croatia was constantly making changes to build a society based on democratic standards, a process which he said could no longer be stopped. He said this was confirmed by the fact that 23 EU countries had already ratified Croatia's EU accession treaty, thanking Belgium for nearing the completion of this process. Leko called for closer parliamentary cooperation, saying Croatia was interested in the experience of long-standing EU members.

Reynders agreed that the reform process was not over, notably in the rule of law and the fight against organised crime, which he said was important because of the Schengen regime. He welcomed the possibility of strengthening Belgian-Croatian ties, notably between parliaments, and pushed for cooperation between the two countries' business people. (Hina)

Author: Hina