- Published: 01.10.2015.
Prime Minister Milanovic: Croatia has been managing the migrant crisis in an organised way
Prime Minister Milanovic visits United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said in London on Thursday he was ready to support the United Kingdom in its demands for changes to the EU treaty in order to reduce the European Commission's powers.
The UK has announced that this year it will demand changes to the Lisbon Treaty and the status of the UK, which is expected to hold a referendum in 2017 on whether to stay in the European Union or not.
"I have never been an advocate of an ever growing Union, which means more bureaucracy in the European Commission," Milanovic told Croatian reporters after meeting with Prime Minister David Cameron. "If we continue like that, we will not have to go to elections any more because all decisions will be made by the Commission," he added.
He said that the Commission's call to Croatia and Slovenia to continue the compromised arbitration to resolve their border dispute was an example of the EC interfering in "something that is not its job."
Milanovic and Cameron discussed the migrant crisis that was affecting Croatia, which has so far seen an influx of over 93,000 refugees fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
Croatia has been managing the migrant crisis in an organised way, but this problem must be resolved by Germany where most of the refugees are heading, the prime minister said. He added that he considered Austria and Germany the biggest allies in dealing with this issue and noted that the UK was an unavoidable factor because of its ample financial assistance to reception centres for Syrian migrants in Lebanon and Jordan.
Early in September, Cameron pledged an additional 136 million euros to alleviate the humanitarian crisis, which would bring the total amount of British aid to 1.36 billion euros. The UK is the second largest donor of aid for refugees, after the United States.
Cameron did not speak to the press after the meeting with Milanovic, but said at the start of the meeting in Downing Street that Croatia was a strong ally in the EU and NATO.
We have a lot of topics to discuss, Cameron said, citing the migrant crisis, the reform of the EU, economic growth and job creation.
PM later attented the promotion of new tag line "Croatia, Full of Life" of Croatian National tourist Board on Erasmus River Cruiser, Butlers Wharf Pier, London, SE1 2YD:
PM later attented the promotion of new tag line "Croatia, Full of Life" of Croatian National tourist Board on Erasmus River Cruiser, Butlers Wharf Pier, London, SE1 2YD: