Canadian Prime Minister says Croatia has always been Western country
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said after talks with his Croatian counterpart Jadranka Kosor in Zagreb on Friday that his country strongly supported Croatia's integration in Euro-Atlantic associations and that in its heart Croatia had always been a Western country despite isolation during the period of Communism.
Canadian Prime Minister says Croatia has always been Western country
ZAGREB, May 7 (Hina) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said after talks with his Croatian counterpart Jadranka Kosor in Zagreb on Friday that his country strongly supported Croatia's integration in Euro-Atlantic associations and that in its heart Croatia had always been a Western country despite isolation during the period of Communism.
Canada was not surprised by the progress Croatia has made since it joined the democratic world... we strongly support the Croatian government's policy aimed at making the country a part of Euro-Atlantic integration processes, said Harper, who was heading a Canadian state delegation which arrived in Croatia for a two-day visit on Friday.
Croatia's admission to the European Union is not only desirable, it is about the country's return to its natural environment, the Canadian PM said.
PM Kosor recalled that PM Harper's visit was the first visit of a Canadian prime minister to Croatia, noting that there were many bridges connecting the two countries, one of them being the 250,000-strong Croat community in Canada.
She underlined PM Harper's important role in the adoption of a decision to cancel visa requirements for Croatian nationals.
It was an important decision and the time since its adoption has shown that it was right, Kosor said.
Canada cancelled visa requirements for Croatian nationals in March 2009.
Harper said the visa regime was cancelled because of the great progress Croatia had made in a number of areas.
Kosor said that she and her guest also discussed Croatia's support for neighbouring Southeast European countries on their road to Euro-Atlantic associations.
She also said that Croatia would strongly support Canada's candidacy for non-permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council.
Kosor called on Canadian investors to do business in Croatia, and she also discussed with her guest the possibility of Canada being Croatia's partner country at the 2011 Zagreb Trade Fair.
The two prime ministers also signed a memorandum on youth mobility, which is expected to encourage young people from Croatia and Canada to travel to the other country.
The Canadian PM arrived in Croatia within his first European tour this year, during which he will attend a Canada-EU summit in Brussels and visit the Netherlands and Germany.
On Saturday, Harper is expected to meet Croatian President Ivo Josipovic.
Commenting on the global economic situation, Harper said that it was developing in the right direction, even though it was too soon to say that the crisis was over.
He also said that his country supported the European Union assistance package for debt-ridden Greece.
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