The Role of Croatia in the Expansion of the European Union and NATO
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]UNY - DECEMBER 1998 127 The role of Croatia in the Expansion of the European Union and NATO Janko Vranyczany-Dobrinovic Although parts of the Croatian public opin- which can only exacerbate problems. This is a diffi- ion and inadequately informed media take the view cult and exhausting task in view of the large number that the relations between Croatia and the European of opinion and decision makers and the multiplicity Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of interests.In an age of electronic communication, are only just beginning, with Croatia standing be- our manoeuvring space is fairly limited. fore the closed doors of institutionalized relation- I must add also that we suffer from a shortage ship without clearly defined intentions and visions, of professional people with international experience it is important to stress at the outset that this view is in foreign-policy marketing and lobbying.Equally, wrong. On the contrary, the relations are well-de- the funds needed for such activities are in short sup- veloped, the diplomatic exchanges from both sides ply. For these reasons, this segment of our activity is highly intensive, and the relationships very intricate, not as effective as we would like it to be. one might almost say atypical and falling outside lt goes without saying that diplomatic repre- the usual norms of diplomatic conduct. sentatives have the task to prepare clear, unbiased, lt is important to note unemotional and confiden- also that the diplomatic cir- NATO wishes to have relations with tial messages for their gov- cuit in Zagreb, consisting of stable and well-organized states ernments, giving their as- within clear and stable borders. At representatives of different sessment of the situation the same time the EU is undergoing countries as well as inter- and their views and com- a continuous, complex and national governmental and ments on the intentions and long-term process of socio-political non-governmental organi- harmonization, involving the forthcoming moves of the zations, including the E.U. standardization of legislation, individual governments or, and NATO, generates as- establishment of common external as in our case, large agglom- sessments that occasionally borders and introduction of a erations of governments. lead to misunderstandings. common monetary system. Diplomatic representatives The Croatian diplomacy Croatia undoubtedly belongs to the must formulate their mes- makes systematic and de- Christian, Central-European and sages without regard for termined efforts to correct Mediterranean civilizational circle. how well or how badly they the assessments that are oc- In the period of the intention of will be received by those for casionally one-sided and international community to extend whom they are intended. insufficiently deep. It the ancient border of the European Since Croatia's rela- civilization to the Black Sea by makes moves, often suc- tions with the North Atlan- europeanizing of the unstable cessful and on occasion less tic Treaty Organization are Balkans Croatia has a very so, to provide a more bal- clearer and simpler, more important geographic position. anced picture and shed ad- attention will be devoted in The international community ditional light on the situa- believes that real stabilization of what follows to our relations tion, blunting the sharp that region could be achieved only with the European Union, edges and relativizing and by economic development, and which are more complex, reconciling opposing broader economic cooperation. more intricate, and - to use views. It certainly tries to the expression favoured by avoid crude labelling, un- Key words: Croatia, EU, NATO our Foreign Minister - in- supported by arguments, deed "multilayered". 128 CROATIAN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS REVIEW Although 12 of the 16 NATO members are Both organizations followed, joined (each in also members of the fifteen-strong European Union its way) and influenced the process of disintegra- and thus seemingly guided by the same political in- tion of Yugoslavia. We shall not go into the details structions of their governments and the common of their involvement and their failure to act in the view that membership in the two organizations is conflicts in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina or into open exclusively to totally open democratic societ- the reasons for the American change of policy at a ies, their thinking begins to differ when specific cases later stage of the conflict in the region. are brought up. The courageous and effective Croatian de- NATO is a combination of a political-ideo- fence in the Patriotic Defence War against a still logical (formerly strongly anticommunist) and de- existing powerful communist army earned Croatia fence-security (formerly anti-Warsaw Pact) group- general sympathy and admiration of all the mem- ing, with highly complex and sophisticated tasks, bers of these organizations (with two notable excep- standard organization and weapons purchase. The tions), especially of NATO, in which the spirit of leading voice in the organization is that of the United anticommunism and anti-Warsaw Pact was still alive. States, without whose approval no major decision The two members who did not show such sympathy can be passed. From the global security aspect, regretted the loss of influence in the region that they NATO wishes to have relations with stable and well- had enjoyed as a result of the Treaty of Versailles organized states within clear and stable borders. and the AVNOJ arrangements for Yugoslavia. The The European Union, for its part, is a predomi- early sympathy for Croatia gradually evaporated, es- nantly economic grouping undergoing a continuous, pecially among our German friends, giving way to complex and long-term process of socio-political disappointment and growing criticism. The reason harmonization, involving the standardization ofleg- was a feeling among some people that Croatia was islation, establishment of common external borders establishing an authoritarian single-party regime and introduction of a common monetary system. It which was at odds with its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. has the common European Parliament, which will Another reason was the evolution of Croatian poli- gradually be given increasing powers. The common cies in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the worsening con- world view and social component, democracy, simi- flict with the Bosnian Muslims. The Croats, initially lar social systems and common philosophy are gain- seen as victims of aggression, were now accused of ing in importance alongside the economic compo- banding together with the aggressor to attack an in- nent. They are firmly and explicitly based on recon- ternationally recognized victim. In this context, our ciliation, humanism, mutual respect and partnership, critics did not wish to consider the possibility that and reduced nationalism. the Muslims, too, might have contributed to the out- This is the system that will continue to de- break of the conflict. Much of the international com- velop, and in the process the Republic of Croatia munity and its public opinion expected the Croats, L will undoubtedly join it over time. as a nation belonging to the civilized "European While NATO and the United States have a circle", to show qualities of chivalry in defending I much broader geographic perspective and much larger the new and even more brutally attacked victim and interest and security concerns, as well as more spe- thus vitally contribute to the resolution of the r cific responsibilities and relations with, for instance, Bosnian crisis. Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union, The ever-present anti-Croatian propaganda the Caucasus, the Middle East, North Africa, the Per- succeeded in strengthening the international percep- sian Gulf, South and East Asia, etc., the European tion of Croatia as the negotiating partner of the ag- Union limits its attempts at economic, ideological and gressor in an attempt to carve up the internationally political unification to a more specifically defined and recognized state of Bosnia-Herzegovina. This per- more narrow geographical area - that of its present ception was strengthened following Croatian mili- members and candidates. This process goes deeper tary actions and detentions of Muslims in Mostar and is socially more far-reaching than the mere mem- and the surrounding region, the demolition of the bership in the North Atlantic Alliance. Old Bridge, and the cruelties in the Lasva Valley and some other parts of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Position of the Republic of Croatia Such an international perception was damag- ing for Croatia, and it had numerous negative con- What is the position of the Republic of Croatia sequences.It improved a little, though still not suf- in relation to these two organizations and their dif- ficiently, following Croatia's military successes in ferences? Bosnia-Herzegovina, which broke the stalemate and ]UNY - DECEMBER 1998 129 made possible the Dayton Accords. Even today The disintegration of Yugoslavia, helped along Croatia continues to be judged cautiously and with by the unrealistically exaggerated aspirations of the reservations, often without well-founded reasons. Serbian politician Milosevic and the more realistic Some people fear that it might have a hidden and achievements of the Croatian President Tudman, pro- unclear agenda regarding the constitutional provi- vided the historic opportunity to arrange, by inter- sions for Bosnia-Herzegovina and the implementa- national consensus,