The Visegrad Group gained a new neighbour in the European Union on 1 July 2013. Given the
geographic proximity, similar level of development and a number of shared interests, Croatia
could become a valuable partner in Central European regional co-operation. Co-operation in
the “V4+” format is possible in most of the Visegrad Group’s priorities, primarily in: energy security,
transport, neighbourhood policy and EU enlargement. V4 could be attractive for Croatia
as a grouping which forms broader coalitions within the EU and is helpful in solving regional
problems. However, making use of this potential in practice will depend on the determination
to enhance co-operation, and its success may be thwarted by temporary bilateral issues
