The forthcoming accession of Croatia to the European Union will support the EU membership prospects for all Balkan countries, visiting Italian President Giorgio Napolitano said in an address to the Croatian Parliament in Zagreb on Thursday.

"Croatia's success in an important example. It confirms that the enlargement process remains open to the others as well," Napolitano said. Regional cooperation confirms that "the remnants of the past have been cast aside and differences are accepted as richness," he added.

Napolitano said that Italy and Croatia can support the Euro-Atlantic integration of the entire Balkan region. "Old barriers can be brought down, borders can be open," he said, congratulating Croatia on the recent completion of EU membership negotiations.

"It's a historic achievement that you made after six years of difficult and complex negotiations. You can be proud of it," Napolitano told members of the Croatian Parliament, with President Ivo Josipovic and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor also attending.

Napolitano praised the Croatian state leadership for "the strategic decision to make an effort in promoting regional cooperation" and expressed satisfaction with the status of the Italian minority in Croatia.

"The Italian minority in Istria, Dalmatia and Rijeka enjoys full respect for human rights and financial assistance from the Croatian government, including a double voting right. Those are important achievements which I deeply appreciate," Napolitano said, announcing a new meeting with the presidents of Croatia and Slovenia in Pula in early September.