The HDZ Presidency decided to merge the Foreign Ministry and the European Integration Ministry into a single ministry at whose helm would be the incumbent European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, the HDZ chief and Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said after the presidency's session in Zagreb on Monday afternoon.
Minister Miomir Zuzul who was at the helm of the Foreign Ministry recently resigned amid corruption scandals.
Sanader thanked Minister Hebrang for his "brilliant work and energy he showed in the past 14 months when he was in the government".
Explaining the decision on the merger of the Foreign and European Ministries into one, Sanader said that it was in line with his cabinet's plans to coordinate all activities in foreign affairs and to avoid "duplication of work".
He added that the European Commission and the leadership of the European People's Party welcomed Zagreb's announcement to unite the two ministries as a good signal of Croatia's desire to become an equal member of the European Union.
Asked to comment on unofficial reports that a high-ranking state delegation would visit the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague in the coming days, Sanader said that his cabinet was in permanent contact with that institution, which he said was an important factor in decision making on the start of Croatia's EU membership talks.
Asked whether it was true that Croatia would withdraw an aggression lawsuit it had lodged against Serbia and Montenegro before the International Court of Justice, Sanader said that the government was not contemplating this move at the moment.
Senior HDZ official Vladimir Seks, who is the parliament speaker, told reporters that the bill on the merger of the ministries of foreign affairs and European integrations would be sent into urgent parliamentary procedure and that the Sabor was expected to adopt it on Wednesday.
The appointment of the new ministers has been added to the parliament's agenda for Thursday.