Mrs. Prime Minister, I have the honour, on behalf of the 27 member-states and 27 heads of government or state, to convey to You the good news that Croatia will become the 28th member-state, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said in Brussels addressing Croatia's PM Jadranka Kosor.
The European Council's head extended cordial congratulations to Kosor on Croatia's forthcoming inclusion into the European family.
This would not be possible without the hard work of the Croatian government and people and without your personal leadership, Van Rompuy said.
Upon the adoption of the Council's conclusions, the decision on Croatia was made public at a special news conference held at the Council of the EU. The conference was held by Van Rompuy, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, Viktor Orban, the PM of Hungary, which is currently chairing the EU, and by PM Kosor.
During the conference, translation into Croatian was provided. With Croatia's entry into the European bloc, Croatian will become the EU's 24th official language.