I am very pleased with the progress Croatia has made, so at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council, which is due to take place in Madrid in November, I will propose that after 11 years the Mission in Croatia be closed, Moratinos told reporters at a summit on the future of Southeast Europe that was taking place in Dubrovnik on Saturday.
Commenting on the announcement, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said that the OSCE Mission, which arrived in Croatia after the 1991-1995 war and helped in dealing with post-war problems, has been very successful.
"Today Croatia is a stable democratic country, as evidenced by the three changes of government at elections," Sanader said, adding that "although the Mission is leaving, Zagreb will continue to meet democratic standards," including cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal and minority protection.
The two-day Dubrovnik summit gathered eight heads of state or government from the region, leaders of international political organisations and representatives of about 40 countries from Europe and the world.
The afternoon part of the meeting was dedicated to security and economic problems in Southeast Europe. Senior officials from the region and representatives of the United States and NATO agreed that the future of Southeast Europe lay in its integration with NATO and the European Union.
Participants agreed that Southeast Europe was making economic and political progress, but that it was necessary to make additional efforts for the region to transform from "a security consumer" into "a security exporter".
Also discussed was the future status of the breakaway Serbian province of Kosovo, which participants said should be settled as soon as possible.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said that everything should be done to avoid unwarranted delays of a final settlement, while Kosovo Prime Minister Agim Ceku said that the postponement of a settlement was causing political and economic damage to the entire region. Ceku also said his government wanted to see a stable and multiethnic Kosovo in partnership with all its neighbours.
The summit was held halfway between the last NATO summit in Riga and the next one in Bucharest in 2008 where Croatia expects an invitation to join the military alliance.