Mesic, who is on a two-day visit to the Belgian region of Flanders, on Thursday evening held a lecture on Croatia's path to the EU at the international seminar on the integration of the Western Balkans into the EU, held at the Lessius Hogeschool (Lessius Institute).
Former Yugoslav countries are sensitive to any approach that would lead to the conclusion that the international community is treating us as a kind of community in any context, Mesic said, adding that this did not mean that Croatia was against regional cooperation, but that it only advocated an individual approach regarding admission to the EU.
The countries in question are different and they simply cannot met the membership conditions at the same time, Mesic said.
After the 2000 elections, Croatia opened a new chapter in relations with the EU. In Croatia of today, there is not a single political force that would advocate return to isolation, openly oppose EU entry, adoption of European standards or the fulfillment of European criteria, he added.
"United Europe is not only our wish, it is our destiny and I want to believe that we will act in line with that realisation," Mesic said.
The launching of Croatia's EU membership talks is an important signal for other countries in the region as well, Mesic said.
Speaking of the countries in the region, Mesic said that Bosnia-Herzegovina was still faced with dilemmas regarding its future set-up. What awaits Serbia and Montenegro is the continuation of the struggle for its further democratisation and the definition of Kosovo's status, he added.
He also said that Croatia was willing to convey its experience from entry talks with the European bloc to countries in south-east Europe.