ATHENS – The Foreign Minister of Croatia Gordan Grlic Radman appeared optimistic that there will be progress on Albania and North Macedonia’s EU accession prospects at the EU Summit in Zagreb in May, speaking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency on the sidelines of the High-Level Conference on the Western Balkans taking place in Thessaloniki on Monday.

“We want to give the Western Balkans a European perspective,” said the Croatian foreign minister, underlining the importance of Monday’s meeting. “It is no accident that we are here today, in Thessaloniki. We are ready to send this positive message to these two countries,” Radman said, and appeared optimistic that some member-states that still have doubts will be convinced.

On Croatia’s relations with Greece, he referred to his recent meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Zagreb, calling it a very good meeting.

Asked if there is room for further improvement, Radman said there could be more progress in the economic and tourism sectors.

Referring to Croatia’s efforts to join the Schengen zone and euro area, he said that Croatia is dedicated to these two goals and expressed hope that the country will become part of the eurozone in 2023.