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Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko met with Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski in Zagreb on Tuesday for talks on the role of national parliaments in decision making processes in the European Union, Croatia's accession to the EU in time of a crisis, and continuation of the EU enlargement process.
The role of national parliaments in decision making in the EU is a great value that must not be lost, and in that regard the Croatian Sabor will benefit a lot from the experiences of the Polish Sejm, the two officials said.
As for Croatia's forthcoming accession to the Union, Komorowski said he was confident that Croatian society, despite the fact that Croatia was joining the EU in time of a crisis, would feel all the positive sides of the EU in the same way Polish society had.
Leko highlighted the importance of cooperation and exchange of experience with Poland, which has proved to be the most successful new member of the EU after the major EU enlargement round of 2004. Komorowski said that Poland's welcome of Croatia to the EU would be "sincere and cordial", recalling a long tradition of friendship between the two countries which he said "any Pole can feel at every step in Croatia."
On the subject of EU enlargement, both officials said that it should continue. Leko said that Croatia was "vitally interested in peace, cooperation and good neighbourly relations with countries in southeastern Europe" and supported their integration into the EU. Komorowski said that all countries in southeastern Europe, as well as Ukraine and Moldova, should be integrated into the EU over time. The Polish president is currently on a two-day official visit to Croatia at the invitation of President Ivo Josipovic. He arrived on Monday when the two presidents opened a seminar on advantages and challenges of EU funds. On Tuesday they are scheduled to attend a Croatian-Polish business forum at the Croatian Chamber of Commerce. (Hina)