PHOTO: Croatian President`s Christmas Reception

The year ahead will not be easy, said Croatia`s Mesic at his Christmas reception, summarising the ups and downs of 2008.

ZAGREB, CROATIA – Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has hosted a reception anent Christmas and New Year`s holidays. In his speech, the president looked back on the year behind us.

- Overall, we can say that we successfully end this year, 2008. In the foreign policy department, the Republic of Croatia has realised great success by receiving the NATO membership invitation – the president said, adding that Croatia was successfully fulfilling its 2-year term in the United Nations Security Council.

Furthermore, the president believes, Croatia took part in many United Nations peace missions, highly responsibly, including the one in Golan.

- Although negotiations with the European Union were sped up and progressed well, we are faced with a Slovene blockade in opening new chapters. We are thankful to our friends in the European Union who objectively assess our progress and support our efforts of becoming the 28 th member country. However, we cannot relax. On the contrary! We have plenty of work to do and obligations to fulfil, but I think we can say that the pace of finishing up negotiations will depend more and more next year on the mechanisms of the European Union – Croatian President Mesic pointed out.

He added that Croatia would intensively be developing relations with all its neighbours, while it is prepared to offer its experience and provide help to countries which will start negotiations with Euro-Atlantic integrations.

- Allow me to point out again that the Republic of Croatia supports European orientation, independence and the integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina, remaining dedicated to its obligations, resulting from the Dayton Treaty – the president stressed.

Danger of campaign outcome

The diplomatic network needs to be strengthened, the justice reform needs to be conducted, stricture and legislative improvements need to be made, police and intelligence community need further professionalization and the health care system reform needs to be implemented, the president believes.

- We have sensed the first consequences of the world economic crisis this year. The year ahead will not be easy, considering the general circumstances of business and reform problems which awaits us in some sectors, for instance, in shipbuilding. But the crisis is also an opportunity to alter bad habits and finally invest strength and creativity into the development of production.  It is necessary to do everything to maintain a positive growth rate, stop indebtedness, secure liquidity, preserve employment and keep up with development investments – the president predicts.

State bodies, local administration and self-administration bodies must lead an economy policy which will stimulate home production and lower import of goods and capital. Mesic reminded of the local elections next year.

- We will directly be electing prefects, municipality heads and mayors for the first time. This is a chance of directly elect honourable persons and experts, party and non-party people. But there is also danger that the campaign intensity and their possible outcome are dictated by the contents of wallets of individual candidates, and not the quality of electoral programmes – said Mesic, adding that the law on financing electoral campaigns should be passed as soon as possible.

In the end, he pointed out good co-operation with religious communities and acknowledged them for their constructive role in moral, social, educational, culture and other areas of civil life.

This year`s reception hosted by the president was more humble than previous years, and interestingly enough, government representatives have not attended it.

Take a look at the photo gallery of the reception: Croatian President`s Humble Christmas Reception.