Croatia has become one of the firmest elements in efforts to curb illegal migrations, which will continue in the coming period, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said at a meeting of the Pan-Europa Union in Zagreb on Saturday.

The minister took part in a round table discussion organised by the Pan-Europa Union in Zagreb to mark the 10th anniversary of the admission of Croatia in the European Union.

Croatia entered the EU on 1 July 2013.

The Pan-Europa Union was set up in 1923 according to the vision of a politically, economically and militarily united Europe which the Pan-Europe Union’s founder, Richard Graf Coudenhove Kalergi, presented in the article “Pan-Europa – a proposal” on 15 November 1922 in the “Vossische Zeitung“ Berlin.

Addressing the event, Minister Bozinovic commented on the achievements made by Croatia in the last 10 years, including the country’s admission to the Schengen travel-free area and to the eurozone on 1 January this year, the construction of Pelješac Bridge, making Croatia an energy hub and also on the developments in the neighbourhood.

Croatia, as a member of the Schengen Area, has assumed a great responsibility as it now manages the longest EU external border, the minister underscored.

According to media reports, we can see that migratory pressures on Europe have not waned and will not wane soon, and by joining the Schengen Area, Croatia has proved to be one of the firmest points in efforts to stop illegal migrations and has shown that although it is a small country it can cope with significant challenges and instil the feeling of security to the rest of Europe, he added.

Croatia’s police along the border protect European law and acquis, human rights and also the safety and security of Croatia, he said.

The irregular migrations will likely be present for years to come and perhaps for decades, which is why a pan-European response is necessary since not a single country can cope with those challenges alone, said Bozinovic, who attended the event as Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s envoy.

Croatia has an interest and a role, due to its geopolitical position, in the promotion and expansion of European and democratic values as well as of the economic development further to its neighbourhood, and he highlighted the importance of the development of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a friendly country.