Croatia’s European Union membership negotiations could be concluded in 2010 provided that all membership requirements are met, but improvements in various areas are required, European Council President Herman van Rompuy said in Brussels on March 5 after meeting Croatian president Ivo Josipović.
 
The requirement for full co-operation with the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia remains essential, Van Rompuy said.
 
"The global financial crisis has severely affected the Croatian economy, but we trust that this will not affect Croatia's preparation for accession," he said.
 
Van Rompuy said that he welcomed the signing of the arbitration agreement on the border issue with Slovenia on November 4 and its ratification by Croatia on November 2009.
 
"The implementation of this Agreement is very important for the EU," Van Rompuy said. "It will create a model for the whole region, demonstrating that bilateral issues can be resolved in the European spirit."
 
Good regional co-operation in the Western Balkans is key in the enlargement process, he said.
 
It was important to work on improving bilateral relations, to resolve border disputes and facilitate refugee return.
 
Van Rompuy said that he weclomed Josipović’s "interest in strengthening relations
with neighbouring countries, particularly with Serbia".
 
The European Council President said that he encouraged by the recent agreement on the enforcement of final verdicts reached between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
"This is an important step towards ending the impunity for war crimes and other serious crimes in this region," Van Rompuy said.
 
A number of meetings among Western Balkans leaders, including with EU chiefs, were scheduled for March 5.
 
Van Rompuy was also scheduled to hold talks in Brussels with Serbian prime minister Mirko Cvetković, who would also meet European Commission President Jose Barroso.
 
Serbian Boris Tadić was scheduled to meet Croatian and Slovenian prime ministers Jadranka Kosor and Borut Pahor on March 5, Serbian media said.
 
The meeting will be informal and it is intended to bring closer their positions, in view of the upcoming March 20 conference on the Western Balkans being organised by Slovenia and Croatia.
 
The conference, to be held in Brdo pri Kranju, Slovenia, is to be entitled "Together for the European Union: Contribution of the Western Balkans to the European Future".
 
Earlier in February, Pahor and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton agreed that an international conference on the Western Balkans, with the goal of resolving some of the open issues in the region, should be held, Balkan Insight said.