CROATIA AND THE REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE

Analiza značenja regionalnih organizacija na jugoistoku Europe, koje su pridonijele ulasku Republike Hrvatske u Europsku uniju i učvršćivanju njezinog meunarodnog ugleda, omogućava sagledavanje tog procesa iz novog kuta. Struktura rada i upotrebljene metode nametnule su niz istraživačkih pitanja. Svaku regionalnu organizaciju i inicijativu pratilo se u odnosu na nekoliko parametara: povijest nastanka organizacije, službeni naziv, zemlje članice i promatrači, područja suradnje, organizacijska struktura i tijela, službeni jezici, predsjedanje organizacijom, temeljni dokumenti, kronološki pregled, projekti, sastanci na vrhu (summiti), te odnos Republike Hrvatske i pojedine regionalne organizacije. U radu je prikazano dvadeset regionalnih organizacija, većina od njih je i dalje aktivna, neke su se pasivizirale dok su se neke transformirale, a u nekima RH ima status promatrača. Vremenski period koji rad obuhvaća je 1992.–2011. godina, ali dodano je i nekoliko novijih dogaaja koji su ukratko opisani u jednom poglavlju i važni za sagledavanje cjelokupnih odnosa u regiji i šire (kriza u Grčkoj, ukrajinska kriza, arapsko proljeće, Islamska država, migrantska kriza, izlazak Velike Britanije iz Europske unije). Osim pregleda regionalnih organizacija, koje čine glavnu strukturu rada obraena su i ova pitanja: demokratske promjene u RH 1990-ih, meunarodno priznanje RH, pitanje identiteta i suvereniteta, političke elite u Hrvatskoj, odreivanje nacionalnog interesa, odrednice vanjske politike i globalizacija, povijest odnosa sa euroatlantskim integracijama (Europska unija i NATO savez), te pregled stanja na jugoistoku Europe tj. odnosi u regiji i sa susjednim državama. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da je Republika Hrvatska imala razraen plan u kojim će regionalnim organizacijama sudjelovati i što želi od pojedine organizacije (ne želi se vratiti u nikakve jugoslavenske okvire i unije, ali želi učvrstiti dobrosusjedske odnose, bilateralnu i multilateralnu meunarodnu suradnju, promicati hrvatsko gospodarstvo i stvarati nove gospodarske veze, ukupna promidžba Hrvatske na više područja). Jedna od tih želja bio je i ulazak u euroatlantske integracije, što je i ostvareno. Na ostalim poljima suradnje se i dalje intenzivno radi, a kao jedan od predvodnika regije jugoistočne Europe na Hrvatskoj je da se trudi i pomogne drugim zemljama u ostvarivanju sigurnosti, napretka i stabilnosti, te ostvarivanju svojih nacionalnih interesa.The analysis of the importance of regional organizations in Southeast Europe, which contributed to joining Croatia to the European union and strenghtening its international reputation, enables us to consider this issue from a new perspective. The chosen structure of this paper and the methods of exploration have imposed new questions and a new set of interest. Each regional organization and initiative was followed in relation to several parameters: the historical formation of the organization, official name, the member states and observers, field of cooperations, organizational structure and bodies, official languages, the presidency of the organization, basic documents, chronological overview, projects, summit meetings and the relationship between Croatia and certain regional organizations. The paper presents twenty regional organizations, most of them still active, while some became passive, others have transformed, and Croatia has status of observer in some of them. The time period that paper includes is 1992.–2011., but several recent events have been addded as well, and are described briefly in one chapter and are important for understanding the overall relations in the region and beyond (the crisis in Greece, the Ukrainian crisis, the Arab spring, ISIL, migrant crisis and brexit). Except reviewing regional organizations, which are main structure in a paper, these issues were also presented: the democratic changes in Croatia in 1990's, the international recognition of Croatia, the question of identity and sovereignty, the political elite in Croatia, determination of the national interests, determinants of foreign policy and globalization, the history of relations with Euro–Atlantic integration (EU and NATO), and the review of the situation in Southeastern Europe ie. relations in the region and with neighboring countries. The results of the research have shown that Croatia had a developed plan in which regional organizations it will participate and what it wants from each organization (does not want to return to any Yugoslavian framework and union, but wants to strengthen good neighborly relations, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, promote the croatian economy and create a new economic ties, the overall promotion of Croatia in several fields). One of these desires was Euro–Atlantic integration, which was achieved. There is still intense work being done on the other fields of cooperation, but Croatia as one of the leaders in region of southeastern Europe, is still trying and assisting other countries in their achieving security, prosperity and stability, and achieve own national interests