Deputy PM says Croatia to enter into final round of EU talks during Czech presidency

Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Alexandr Vondra has said that Croatia should enter into the final round of EU membership negotiations during the Czech Republic’s presidency in 2009. The Czech Republic has already listed further EU enlargement as one of the priorities of its EU presidency which will span the first six months of next year. On Tuesday, Mr Vondra said that he expected Croatia to complete accession talks in 2009. The European Commission has said it expects Croatia to complete EU negotiations by November next year, but Zagreb has pushed to conclude talks earlier. Speaking to journalists in Brussels on Tuesday, Deputy PM Vondra stated the Czech Republic’s other priorities at the helm of the EU as being energy security and diversification of imports, in the face of the conflict between Russia and Georgia.