(01 January 2020) – Brexit and EU enlargement will be priorities during Croatia’s six-month presidency of the bloc, Foreign Minister Goran Grlić-Radman said Wednesday.
Britain is due to leave the European Union on 31 January but will remain in a transitional arrangement until the end of the year while negotiators try to thrash out future trade ties.
Another challenge for the Croatia EU presidency will be Western Balkans countries wanting to join the bloc “as there have been different approaches when EU enlargement is concerned,” Grlić-Radman told N1 television channel.
Out of the Western Balkans countries only Serbia and Montenegro are in the process of negotiations while Albania and Northern Macedonia are yet to start talks.
Kosovo and Bosnia meanwhile are seriously lagging behind, the latter due to its complicated post-war political system that blocks reforms needed to become an EU candidate country. (EurActiv)