Croatia is vitally interested in the stability of Southeast Europe, which can achieve long-term stability only through Euro-Atlantic integration, Zuzul told a ministerial meeting of NATO's Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.
For this to happen, certain political criteria must be met, and Croatia has been doing this consistently, he said.
The foreign ministers of NATO member and partner countries discussed the Balkans in 2005.
Zuzul thanked NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer for his support to countries aspiring to join the alliance. He also thanked US Secretary of State Colin Powell for his efforts within the US-Adriatic Charter, which helps Croatia, Albania and Macedonia draw closer to NATO.
After the debate on the Balkans, the ministers took note of the chairman's report on Euro-Atlantic Partnership after the Istanbul Summit which supports the three aforementioned countries, signatories to the Membership Action Plan, on their road to NATO membership.