Dear Presidents and Speakers,

Dear colleagues,

This is a unique opportunity, and it is a special honour for me to have the possibility to address you today in the Lithuanian Parliament.

Only a few days have elapsed since Monday, 1 July, the day when my country became a full-fledged member of the European Union, thus joining the European family of states and peoples. Although I believe that the term "historic" should be used cautiously, I dare call the first speech of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament, now a parliament of an EU member state, a historic one.

It is indeed a great pleasure to finally see the results of great efforts, hard work and sacrifices that have been invested into the European project all these years. We knew from the beginning that the tasks ahead would be voluminous, but we also knew that the award awaiting us at the end of the journey is immensely valuable.

We have not perceived European integration as a task which is done and completed once and for all, but as a project of several generations. For this reason, the satisfaction that we feel now is even greater.

The path thereto, however, has not been easy and trouble-free. Obstacles standing in the way were many. Since its independence, Croatia set European and Euro-Atlantic integration as its priority objective. Today it is difficult to imagine that a war imposed against us in an armed aggression was raging in our country only 18 years ago.

After the war, we were the first to start the process of reconciliation in the region, confident that only the policy of good-neighbourly relations and co-operation has a future.

While we were changing the laws of the country as its connective tissue and adopting European legislation, we were witnessing a slow but sure change of Croatian society. We always knew that we wanted a society built on the values ​​applicable in the European Union and its member countries, a society in which human rights, a free market, the rule of law and the rights of minorities are respected.

Today’s image of Croatia compared with the one of 10 years ago has been completely changed and improved. The difference between today’s Croatia and Croatia of some 20 or more years ago is enormous, in favour of human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law in particular.

The path that we have travelled was supported by a vast majority of Croatian citizens and all relevant political forces, and despite the difficulties, it never came under a question mark.

Many policy documents of the Croatian Parliament as the supreme representative body of the Republic of Croatia bear witness to this commitment. The legal acts that were adopted in the process of alignment with European legislation are counted in hundreds.

We see our success also as a success of Europe and its member states that have been helping us all the time. We see it as a chance for other countries having membership aspirations and a message that all the efforts and persistent work are worthwhile in the end and that the result is sure to come.

This also applies to the countries of our neighbourhood, the countries of Southeast Europe. Croatia’s accession to the EU is a more than clear beacon as to the direction that should be taken. We can certainly help them and want to help them in this process, because there cannot be a stable Europe without a stable Southeast of Europe.

Experience has confirmed that the very prospect of EU membership, even without a formal entry into the association, has a beneficial effect on interstate relations and a peaceful settlement of disputes. We shall always be supportive of the efforts of our neighbours to join European and Euro-Atlantic associations, and we have no intention of making their path more difficult in any way.

Although we have met the requirements for membership and are, according to some, the best prepared country for membership of the EU, more work is ahead of us.

We are faced with a comprehensive task of consolidating our economy and raising the standard of living of our citizens. Croatia has suffered plenty of damage in the global large-scale economic crisis; for five years from the onset of the crisis, we have been unable to return to the track of growth that we had before the crisis.

We also have the task to further strengthen our institutions, especially the judiciary. Some tasks cannot be completed in a few months or years but require a longer period of time. And the achieved standards can always be upgraded.

Our path, however, is a clear one - we want to be a constructive and active factor in the Union who will act to co-create European policies in various fields.

We believe that we bring an added value to European politics irrespective of the current economic crisis in the country.

The EU itself is experiencing an economic crisis where some countries are more, and others less affected. However, it is clear that Europe is still one of the most desirable places to live, and the Union is still one of the world's most prestigious political and economic associations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In conclusion, I would like to thank all those who have provided unreserved assistance to Croatia on its EU path in the last 10 years or more. Lithuania has certainly been one of them.

Our path to membership has ended in formal terms, but there is still work to be done in building our society and restoring public confidence in the Croatian economy and our own strengths.

One of our immediate tasks is to join the Schengen system, and we are working intensely to achieve this objective.

We are not afraid of the future challenges because we believe that the hardest part is now behind us. From now on we shall not be alone; behind us will be the power of solidarity of the Member States with whom we will be tackling problems at a common table.

With faith in a better tomorrow for all of us and for all European citizens, I wish us all plenty of success.

Thank you for your attention!