July 1, 2013 – Washington, D.C. – Today, Croatia officially became the 28th member state of the European Union (EU). Croatia's accession marks an important milestone for the project of "Europe whole, free and at peace." The Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina (ACBH) would like to warmly congratulate Croatia and its people for their hard work and dedication towards reaching this historic and momentous goal. Croatia's accession reaffirms that the prospect of European integration still remains open to all aspirant countries from the Western Balkans and demonstrates that shared European values, economic reforms and political stability are necessary for fulfilling the EU membership criteria.   

Commenting on Croatia's relations with other countries in the Southeast Europe region, Croatian President, Ivo Josipovic stated: "Being together in the EU means that any further conflict is senseless. It would be definitely the end of the tensions in Southeast Europe."

ACBH Executive Director, Ms. Ajla Delkic, praised the cooperation between Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and Croatia. Ms. Delkic expressed hope that "Croatia's accession into the EU will send a positive signal to its regional partners as an incentive for reform. ACBH wishes for BiH to follow Croatia in undertaking the essential political and economic reforms in order for the country to take its rightful place in the European family of nations."