It is a pleasure for me to participate once again at Dubrovnik Summit. I would like to congratulate our Croatian friends for excellent organization of the meeting.

What is the future of South East Europe? The answer is – a European one. Regardless of the fact that the timeline of this endeavour is different for each country. For Croatia, it is practically tomorrow. I would like to congratulate my colleague Jandroković on the opening of the three final chapters in accession negotiations. We are very pleased when our neighbours are making progress. It is an additional impetus for us to work hard on fulfilling commitments before us in the more demanding phases of this process.

Our European path has been designed on Zagreb Summit, and further cemented at the Thessalonica one. In the meantime, the enlargement policy proved to be one of the most successful EU policies. The region has seen historical changes, and all countries made a significant progress. It was also confirmed at the recent EU-Western Balkans High Level meeting in Sarajevo. I'm not sure what everybody's expectations were, but we see it as a very significant event. First of all – because it was held in the first place, which in itself is an important message. Second – because it clearly confirmed EU's commitment to the enlargement policy. And third – because each country will be judged by its own merits. The regatta principle boosts healthy competition and widens the European front in the Balkans. Everything else is up to us. Talks about the enlargement fatigue, a pause after the accession of Croatia, problems in the Euro-zone and so on cannot be an excuse for inactiveness for all of us in the Western Balkans. The EU will know how to meet all the challenges it faces without us. We need to focus on our own tasks. That means reforms, implementation of the acquis, the rule of law, building institutions on a European model... We would have to do this for the sake of our citizens and countries, and for our own sake, even if we didn't have the strategic goal to join the EU.

The stability and progress of the Western Balkans are certainly of high importance for the EU as well. I believe I need not elaborate reasons for this argument. It might be worth asking the Euro-skeptics where Europe would be today if it weren't for the enlargement policy, and if it had instable countries on its Eastern borders and in its central part. With over 20 million inhabitants, qualified labor force, real potential for new investments, the Western Balkans represents a realistic market for the economies of the European countries. With membership of the Western Balkan countries in the EU the need for the European tax-payers to allocate significant funds for prevention or rehabilitation of conflicts will cease. We must not loose from sight the fact that the region is still vulnerable, that there are still some open issues lingering, which could, if neglected, create a source of instability. The stability of our region and its integration in European and Euro-Atlantic structures is our key interest, but it is equally important for both the EU and NATO. Good-neighborly relations and regional cooperation are a model for prosperity of our countries and of the region as a whole. I believe that different regional initiatives have created a solid political framework which will enable a more structured project cooperation in our common interest. Through regional cooperation we are also strengthening ownership of the integration process and creating the possibility to resolve all open issues on our own. This is the best recommendation for our progress in integrations.

We are running a long and hard hurdles race. The hurdles may be higher for the future new members; there may be more of them than before. But those are the rules. We are not looking for a preferential treatment, but for an equal and objective one for all.

Thank you.