In the statement the EU welcomed the participation of the Croatian Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, in an extraordinary session of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna.
Grabar Kitarovic informed members of the Permanent Committee of Croatia's progress in meeting international conditions, conditions from the mandate of the OSCE Mission as well as of the return of refugees, reforms and regional cooperation.
"We recognise and welcome the progress achieved by Croatia in several areas, in particular visible progress in regional cooperation and reconciliation as well as the adoption of Constitutional Law on the Rights of National Minorities, the further implementation of which we strongly encourage," the statement said.
"There remains, however, important work to be done in the areas of rule of law, judicial reform, and return and integration of refugees as well as increasing the representation of minorities in the administration in line with the relevant legislation," the EU said.
"The country and the Mission should continue to focus on these areas since they are linked to overcoming the legacy of the past. In this context, we stress the importance of full cooperation with ICTY, crucial to the success of accession negotiations," said the statement.