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Article 18 1. The Parties shall endeavor to conclude, where necessary, bilateral and multilateral agreements with other States, in particular neighboring States, in order to ensure the protection of persons belonging to the national minorities concerned. 2. Where relevant, the parties shall take measures to encourage transfrontier cooperation.
Paragraph 1.
From the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Multilateral international agreements on human rights especially rights of members of national minorities of which the Republic of Croatia is a contracting party are listed in clause 2. in the I part, and in this part with Article 1. Concerning bilateral international agreements which ensure the rights of persons belonging to national minorities we state as follows: In 1992 the Republic of Croatia and the Italian Republic signed a Memorandum on mutual understanding between Croatia, Italy and Slovenia on the protection of rights of the Italian minority in Croatia and Slovenia, and in 1996 an Agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the Italian Republic on the rights of minorities. In 1992 the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Hungary signed a Protocol between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Government of the Republic of Hungary on the principles of cooperation and guaranties for national minorities. In 1995 they signed an Agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Hungary on the protection of the Hungarian minority in the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian minority in Hungary. The Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia signed an Agreement on the normalization of relations in 1996. Besides signing bilateral international agreements, the Republic of Croatia, with the participation of the international community signed in 1996, The Principle Agreement on Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and West Srijem, and in 1997 Proclaimed the Letter of Intention of the Republic of Croatia on the completion of the peaceful reintegration of the said area, under Interim -administration and the Program of establishing trust, ensuring the rapid return of refugees and the normalization of every day life on the war devastated areas of the Republic of Croatia.
From the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia Article 134. "International agreements that were stipulated and confirmed in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia, and are valid, constitute part of the internal legal system of the Republic of Croatia, and are by force of law above laws. Their provisions can be changed or canceled only according to legal conditions and methods stipulated by them, or in agreement with the basic provisions of international law."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is authorized in all matters concerning international agreements in this area.
From the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Croatia gives great importance to bilateral agreements on the protection of national minorities with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, The Slovak Republic, The Republic of Slovenia and others which are in preparation .An outline of an agreement on the protection of minority rights was sent to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1996, we are expecting a statement from them in that regard. It was agreed upon in bilateral meetings that it would be of great importance to sign an agreement for the protection of human rights with the Slovak Republic. Croatia would also like to sign the above mentioned agreement with the Republic of Slovenia, but unfortunately, Slovenia does not want to regulate the question of the protection of national minorities through a bilateral agreement, stating that she is a signatory of the Framework Convention of the Protection of Human Rights, and will abide to the protection of the minorities in that way.
From the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs The International Mixed Council for the implementation of the Agreement on bilateral protection of human rights between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Hungary suggested to the signatories of this Agreement, to work on the realization of specific projects which were also adopted by the Government of Croatia ( the realization of a border road crossing in Kotoriba- Mlinarci, finishing the construction of a schooling center in Osijek, etc., but these projects either haven't been started or haven't been finished to date. The situation is similar in Hungary (the Parliamentary Representative of the Croatian minority still has not been elected to the Hungarian Parliament, the Theater in Pecuh has not received anticipated funding, neither did the Catholic Backa - Croatian Library in Baji, etc.) The Croatian minority in Italy (Molise), has not received expected financial aid either, all though it was announced in the Italian Parliament. An assessment of the protection of the Croatian minority in Italy, which is based on provisions from the Agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Italy, shows there has been no major improvement
Paragraph 2.
(see Paragraph 1.)
(see list of bilateral agreements)
(same as under Paragraph 1.)
(see Paragraph 1.)
(same)
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