Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Gordan Jandrokovic met 5 December 2010 in Helsinki, as part of the official visit to the Republic of Finland, with his host, Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb.
The collocutors expressed satisfaction with the achieved level of bilateral relations, which were described as very good and constantly on the upswing
Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Gordan Jandrokovic met 5 December 2010 in Helsinki, as part of the official visit to the Republic of Finland, with his host, Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb.
The collocutors expressed satisfaction with the achieved level of bilateral relations, which were described as very good and constantly on the upswing. They welcomed in particular the intensification of high-level visits during the last two years, which too has contributed to the development of the two countries' relations. Moreover, this year marked significant progress in the enhancement of the economic, cultural, and scientific cooperation.
Minister Jandrokovic thanked Minister Stubb for Finland's continued support towards Croatia's EU accession, especially the assistance in the implementation of the 13 Croatian-Finnish twinning projects, as well as the readiness of Finnish institutions for further cooperation in that regard.
The ministers expressed satisfaction over today's Croatian-Finnish Economic Forum, which along with Finnish businessmen saw the participation of representatives of 10-odd Croatian companies from various sectors: wood and metal industry, shipbuilding, construction, science, and research. The Forum was described as an additional incentive for the further promotion of the Croatian-Finnish economic relations.
The meeting also discussed the Finnish side's initiative on joint usage of certain Finnish diplomatic and consular representations in countries where Croatia does not have its own.
Minister Jandrokovic familiarized Minister Stubb with the current status of Croatia's EU talks, pointing out that Croatia's goal was to close as many chapters as possible by the end of this year, so that it could sign the Treaty of Accession in the first half of the following year. He expressed conviction in further progress at the following Intergovernmental Conference, slated for early November, adding that special attention would be paid to the closing of the two most complex chapters: 23 – Judiciary and Fundamental Rights, and 8 – Competition Policy.
Talking about the situation in South Eastern Europe, ministers Jandrokovic and Stubb expressed support for the Euro-Atlantic perspective of all of its countries, describing it as a guarantee of stability and security in the region. They also touched upon Finland's experiences in cooperating with the Nordic countries, agreeing it served as an excellent example of regional cooperation.
Mario Dragun
Spokesman
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