Croatian Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Kolida Grabar Kitarovic, who was the host of the meeting, said that a pace of the further enlargement of the European Union should be based on achievements of individual countries-candidates.
Addressing the meeting, Grabar Kitarovic said that positive effects which the admission of a candidate produces both on the Union and the newcomer should always be taken into account.
According to the Croatian minister, benefits of the EU membership are evident and long-lasting which is why, she said, they present a strong encouragement for aspirants to carry out necessary reforms and remain committed to European values such as democracy, the protection of human rights and the rule of law.
Therefore, countries-aspirants are neither security threat nor economic burden to the EU but they are partners on equal footing, Grabar-Kitarovic said.
She added that Croatia would like to share those benefits with its neighbours which is why it is promoting cooperation with other countries in the region in accordance with European principles and EU policies.
Hans Winkler, the state secretary of Austria's foreign ministry, said that the EU should not be afraid of its expansion and that scepticism about possible newcomers can be removed if the enlargement is based on individual approach.
Gernot Erler, German Deputy Foreign Minister, expressed his position Croatia has taken a leading role in the region and that the admission of southeastern European countries to the European Union is the only way towards the stabilisation of the entire region.
The foreign minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mladen Ivanic, addressed the meeting to warn that holders of Bosnia's passports were facing serious problems to get visas to enter the EU zone.
We meet all EU requirements ranging from the same passports for all Bosnian citizens to the integrated border control service, but the visa regime is still in effect, the Bosnian minister said urging EU officials to ease visa requirement at least for young citizens of his country.