merrion street

The Tánaiste met today with Mr. Neven Mimica, the Deputy Prime Minister for Home, Foreign, and European Affairs of Croatia, at Iveagh House for discussions, including on bilateral relations, Croatia’s progress towards accession, an exchange of views on the situation in South East Europe, and the EU enlargement agenda.

The Tánaiste took the opportunity to announce that Ireland has completed its domestic procedures for the ratification of Croatia’s accession to the European Union.

“I am delighted to be able to inform the Deputy Prime Minister that today President Higgins signed the Instrument of Ratification for the Croatian Accession Treaty. The Instrument will be deposited in Rome shortly, thus completing Ireland’s ratification procedures for Croatia’s accession to the European Union.

We greatly look forward to welcoming Croatia as the EU’s 28th Member State on 1 July 2013, and to a productive working relationship within the EU.

I want to pay tribute to Croatia’s implementation of the challenging reforms required for EU accession. Croatia is a beacon for the other countries of the Western Balkans in realising their EU perspective.

Ireland and Croatia have a warm friendship built on a shared understanding from the hardships of the past. We have much to offer each other, in terms of our fruitful bilateral relationship and in our roles as members of the European Union.”