FM meets with Baden-Wuerttemberg’s PM Kretschmann

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman 9 October 2019 visited Germany. In Stuttgart, he with the local Croatian Catholic Mission...

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman 9 October 2019 visited Germany. In Stuttgart, he with the local Croatian Catholic Mission, where Rector Ivica Erceg informed him about its activities, goals and achievements.

At the seat of the Baden-Württemberg government, Grlić Radman held talks with Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann. The two officials underlined the traditionally excellent relations between Croatia and Germany and expressed satisfaction with the activities of the Croatia-Baden-Württemberg Mixed Governmental Commission. Regular meetings have been held since 2004 and address areas from economy, agriculture and energy to culture, science and education.

Grlić Radman and Kretschmann also underscored excellent cooperation within the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, where Croatia and Baden-Württemberg jointly coordinate the strengthening of enterprise competitiveness and the development of enterprise clusters through a number of specific projects.

The two officials welcomed the intensified cooperation between twin cities such as Osijek and Pforzheim, Nova Gradiška and Mengen, Rijeka and Karlsruhe, and Vinkovci and Kenzingen.

“The large Croatian community in Baden-Württembergu is a bridge for an even better cultural and economic cooperation. It is highly organized and integrated, participating in all areas of civic life,” Grlić Radman underscored.

In regard to economic cooperation, the interlocutors agreed that there was room to further intensify relations and investment in IT, machinery and equipment production, and the car industry.

Kretschmann highlighted Rimac Automobili car company as an example of the excellent cooperation between Croatia and Baden-Wuerttemberg. Baden-Wuerttemberg is one of Croatia’s main foreign trade partners in Germany.

Also attending the meeting were State Secretary from Croatia’s Economy Ministry denko Lucić and Baden-Württemberg’s State Minister Theresa Schopper.

 

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