Seks was heading a Croatian delegation attending a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, the document which established the European Union.
Not so long ago, Croatia experienced the worst challenges of war and aggression and it appreciates the value of the basic principles of the European order established by the Rome Treaty, Seks said.
This historic document laid foundations for a new international project that marked the start of an irreversible process of unification of European states based on the principles of democracy, equality, promotion of human and national rights, and the building of a community of well-being, peace and stability, the Croatian official said.
"Croatia has no doubt always been part of Europe with its Mediterranean and Central European characteristics, but it also belongs to Southeast Europe, where there are still spots of potential instability. Croatia therefore wants to cooperate with the international community, notably with countries in the region, in actively contributing to political security and economic progress as the basic conditions for a European future of Southeast European countries.
"On its road to full EU membership so far, notably in the last year and a half, Croatia has achieved exceptional results and all relevant forces in the parliament support activities necessary to achieve European standards for the benefit of Croatian citizens and make it possible for Croatia to join the EU as its 28th member by the end of this decade," Seks said.
The Treaty of Rome, signed on 25 March 1957 in the Italian capital, established the European Economic Community and the European Community for Atomic Energy. The countries which signed the treaty (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany) established a common customs union and defined criteria and basic goals for the establishment of a common market to enable free movement of people, goods, services and capital.
In 1992, the EEC was renamed the European Union by the Treaty of Maastricht.
Italian Senate President Franco Marini invited to the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome parliamentary speakers from the 27 EU member states and three candidate countries, including Croatia. The ceremony was being attended, among others, by European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, European Parliament President Hans Gert Poettering, and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.