Minister Gordan Jandroković met during official visit to Romania with Foreign Minister Teodor Baconschi

The ministers agreed that the two countries’ relations are very good, friendly and unburdened by outstanding issues

The ministers agreed that the two countries’ relations are very good, friendly and unburdened by outstanding issues, pointing out that there are possibilities of further strengthening the bilateral relations through the numerous areas of cooperation and stressing the need to intensify the economic cooperation.

Minister Jandroković informed his counterpart about the course of Croatia’s EU accession process. He said that the Croatian side had prepared the negotiating positions and met all of the preconditions for opening the three remaining chapters, and that it is up to the EU now to undertake the activities to open them. He thanked for the support Romania is lending Croatia along its way to the EU membership, adding that Croatia would appreciate any advice regarding the institutional adaptations and preparing the EU-funded projects.

Minister Baconschi said that Romania strongly supported Croatia’s joining the EU and that he hoped the negotiations would be completed by the end of this year. He said that Croatia’s negotiation process is extremely demanding, which is a guarantee that Croatia will not require an additional control mechanism after joining the EU.

The ministers reiterated the necessity of strengthening the economic cooperation and in that regard reviewed the current status of the future of Pan-European Oil Pipeline. They agreed that both countries would benefit from the exchange of experiences regarding continental tourism, with Minister Jandroković expressing hope for the increase of Romanian tourists’ visits to Croatia. The ministers pointed out the importance of the Danube River and expressed support for the regional initiatives directed at the protection and development of the Danube basin.

The ministers also expressed satisfaction with the two countries’ cooperation within SEECP and expressed support for the activities of the Regional Cooperation Council. They exchanged opinions about the current political and security situation in the region, agreeing that Croatia and Romania could be important factors in the region’s stabilization process and its approaching the Euro-Atlantic integration.

Ministers Jandroković and Baconschi also talked about the cooperation and the need for constant communication between the two ministries, military cooperation within NATO and better airline connections.

After the meeting, the ministers signed the Program of Cooperation in Education for the 2010-2013 Period and the Additional Protocol on the Amendments to the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Croatia and the Romanian Government on Mutual Investment Protection.

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