Croatia's new Prime Minister, Mr Ivica Racan, made his debut at the European Union yesterday to prepare the ground for his country becoming a member of the bloc.
He had talks with the 15 EU foreign ministers during their regular meeting in Brussels, and is expected to visit NATO headquarters today, underlining the new Zagreb government's aspiration to join both organisations.
The EU and NATO have warmly welcomed the election of Mr Racan's reformist coalition and the choice of pro-Western Mr Stipe Mesic as President, sweeping away a decade of nationalist autocracy under Franjo Tudjman.
But both caution that they want to see promises of reform translated rapidly into action.
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Mr Javier Solana, joining Mr Racan for a brief news conference, stressed the need for Croatia to cease supporting Bosnian Croats who oppose the Dayton peace accords in Bosnia, and to speed up the return of Croatian Serb refugees to their homes.
"We are going to help your country, Mr Prime Minister. But I would also like to underline that this change in Croatia . . . is a signal for the region as a whole," he said.
The EU agreed to begin the process of assessing Croatia's suitability for membership by setting up a Joint Consultative Task Force, due to hold its first meeting today.
"We are aware of our responsibilities. We know that we have an important role to play in our region," Mr Racan said.
The new government's reform programme "corresponds to what the EU expects of Croatia", he added. "Croatia is bound to carry it out. We are committed to our citizens," he said.
Western powers maintaining expensive, open-ended commitments to peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Kosovo look to the Racan-Mesic team in Zagreb as a breakthrough that could bolster opposition to President Slobodan Milosevic.
But they stress that Croatia's promised political and economic revolution must be seen to succeed rapidly.