Minister Gordan Jandroković pays official visit to Hellenic Republic

The two countries’ relations were described as partnership and friendly, free of outstanding issues. Minister Jandroković thanked the Hellenic Republic for its continuous support for Croatia in the realisation of its priority foreign-policy goals – full EU and NATO membership, as well as joining the UN Security Council. He expressed hope that the Protocol on Croatia’s NATO Accession would be ratified within the set deadline by all of the members, and that the Hellenic Republic would be one of the first to do so. Speaking about the EU enlargement, Minister Jandroković said that Croatia is doing its part of the job and submitted end-June all of the documents necessary for opening the remaining chapters, reiterating that Croatia’s priority goal is to open all of the remaining chapters by end-2008 and close them by fall 2009.

During the meeting with Foreign Minister Bakoyannis, Minister Jandroković noted the possibilities of improving the two countries’ economic co-operation, pointing out that last year’s trade totalled USD 90 million. Given both sides’ economic potentials, the collocutors agreed that the economic co-operation could be even tighter in shipbuilding, power industry, transport, construction, and tourism. In that regard, Minister Jandroković welcomed the proposal to hold a meeting of the Joint Economic Co-operation Committee in Athens in November 2008, as well as the announced visit to Croatia by the Greek entrepreneurs in October this year.

With the aim of facilitating the progress of economic relations, both sides commended the Croatia Airlines’ intention to open a direct Zagreb-Athens line as soon as the technical conditions allow. Minister Jandroković pointed out that Croatia considers the building of the Adriatic-Ionian highway to be of great importance for both countries and expressed hope that the Greek 2008-2009 presidency of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, along with the presented environmental and transport infrastructure priorities, would provide further impetus to this project. The framework for joint initiatives of transport infrastructure development and an overall better connectedness between the Mediterranean sea- and airports was confirmed by both sides in establishing co-operation within the Union for the Mediterranean as well, whose member Croatia became 12 July this year. The collocutors also discussed the situation in South Eastern Europe, agreeing that the Euro-Atlantic perspective of all the countries in the region is the best way to achieve a lasting peace and stability in this part of Europe, and a framework for a permanent solution of the remaining outstanding issues.

One of the meeting’s topics was also the case of the invalidly convicted captain Kristo Laptalo. Minister Jandroković informed Minister Bakoyannis about the reactions in Croatia to the first-instance ruling and expressed interest in the further course of the process. Minister Bakoyannis showed understanding for the concern, emphasizing that the case falls within the independent justice system domain, which politics cannot meddle in.