Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel paid an official visit to Croatia at the invitation of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia Gordan Grlić-Radman. During the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister also held a meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
This visit was an opportunity to build on what was achieved during the visit of Minister Grlić-Radman to Sofia in September last year.
"Bulgaria and Croatia are friends and allies, developing an active and consistent partnership, giving stability and good prospects for the future. We reaffirmed our common commitment to work together on connectivity in infrastructure, transport, trade, energy, education and innovation to ensure a more sustainable future for our countries and the talents in the region. The Three Seas Initiative and the construction of the North-South Corridor are of strategic importance for Bulgaria and Croatia," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
Maria Gabriel and Gordan Grlić-Radman reaffirmed the common commitment with the Joint Declaration of Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania and Greece in support of regional cooperation adopted in September last year.
Maria Gabriel thanked Minister Garlić-Radman for Croatia's strong support for our country's accession to the Schengen area and the euro area. The ministers also underlined that the accession of Bulgaria and Croatia to the OECD will contribute to improving the economic stability, investment climate, stability and security of the region. They also discussed the possibility of setting up a working group between Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania to exchange best practices in the OECD accession process.
"Bulgaria and Croatia have proven to be predictable and reliable partners within the EU, NATO and on the international stage. Our countries play a key role in the security and stability of South Eastern Europe. We remain strong supporters of the European perspective of the Western Balkans. Our support for the development of the Western Balkans underpins future joint initiatives creating more opportunities for people, businesses and the region," Maria Gabriel underlined. / BGNES
