OSCE has contributed to progress in Croatia, Secretary General says in Zagreb

ZAGREB, 22 July 2011 – Croatia is contributing to stability in its region, the OSCE Secretary General, Lamberto Zannier, said today, adding that the OSCE’s field presence in the country for the last 15 years had played a key role in its progress by supporting reforms and work to protect human rights.

Zannier discussed the OSCE’s support to Croatia’s democratic reforms during a meeting with the Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Goran Jandroković.

“I congratulate you and all the citizens on the progress you have made on your chosen path to EU Membership. The engagement of the OSCE over the years has been a reflection of your efforts and your own progress. Your success is also our success,” Zannier said during the meeting.

The first OSCE field operation in Croatia was established in 1996. Since then, the OSCE has assisted the country with democratization, protection of human and minority rights, refugee return, war crimes processing, media freedom and support to the civil society.

Zannier encouraged the continuation of regional co-operation and  welcomed a recent initiative by the Presidents of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia in Brijuni to co-operate more in law enforcement, criminal prosecution and extradition procedures in  order to fight organized crime and improve prosecution of war crimes cases.

The agenda also included meetings with representatives of three non-governmental organizations supported by the OSCE in their work to monitor the prosecution of war crimes cases. Zannier said that the recent arrest of Goran Hadžić by Serbia was very good news and added that “it is now important to strengthen, even more than in the past,  local capacities in prosecution of war crimes”.