Minister Grabar-Kitarović met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Minister Grabar-Kitarović expressed satisfaction with the high level of the current bilateral relations, as evidenced by the numerous meeting between both countries’ high-level state officials. As a contribution to the development of friendly relations, Minister Grabar-Kitarović reiterated the invitation by Croatian President Stjepan Mesić to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, and invited Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to officially visit Croatia. During the meeting, Minister Grabar-Kitarović stated her satisfaction with the parliamentary co-operation, confirming the readiness to continue with the political consultations, and the two ministers exchanged to that end the 2007 Consultations Plan between the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Both ministers expressed special interest in enhancing the economic co-operation. Minister Grabar-Kitarović said that Croatia’s goal is to increase it share in the trade, which in 2005 amounted to USD 1.8 billion. In the spirit of positive co-operation, the two ministers talked about the concrete possibilities of economic co-operation, with Minister Grabar-Kitarović explaining the possibilities of investment in Croatia and presenting the Croatian Government project entitled Hitro.hr, pointing out the reduced administrative obstacles for investors.

Minister Grabar-Kitarović communicated the interest of the Croatian construction companies in the housing construction projects and invited the Russian side to take part in the infrastructural projects, namely river cleansing and bridge building. The minister expressed a wish for the continuation of the good co-operation in shipbuilding, construction, and banking. She also noted the fact that the number of Russian tourists visiting Croatia is steadily increasing. The two ministers also reviewed the issue of the two countries’ co-operation in the field of energy industry, as a part of a wider European energy strategy and EU-Russian relations in that field. The Russian side expressed interest in a more prominent involvement of Croatia and the whole SEE region in the trans-European energy projects. Within that context, the two ministers also noted the Družba Adria and PEOP (Pan-European Oil Pipeline – Constanza-Trieste) projects. The Croatian side confirmed the interest in taking advantage of the favourable geographical position, with an emphasis on high ecological and other standards. Minister Grabar-Kitarović informed her Russian colleague about the initiative for two said projects to be considered within the possible linking of Croatian oil system with Slovenia and Italy on land, for the purposes of securing oil transfer and protecting the Adriatic from transport and other overloading.

During the meeting, Minister Grabar-Kitarović expressed satisfaction with the fact that in July 2006, the Agreement on the Payment of the Clearing Debt was signed in Moscow, by which Croatia, the first among the SFRY successors, solved the issue of paying the debt USD 185.5 million.

Minister Grabar-Kitarović presented to Minister Lavrov Croatia’s basic foreign policy goals and orientation towards the EU and NATO, stating that the regional co-operation is developing in all areas, both bilaterally and multilaterally, with the two most important frameworks currently being the political SEECP and the economic CEFTA.

As a part of Minister Grabar-Kitarović’s official visit, a group of Croatian businessmen also visited Moscow and held business meetings with their Russian partners. The response by the Russian businessmen exceeded all expectations. Taking part on the Croatian side were the representatives of the Rijeka Port, Limex, Borovo, Alt Pro, Kraš, TKT Zlatna Igla, and Jadranbrod. The meetings were described as exceptionally successful and opened new areas of possible economic co-operation.

As a part of her official visit, Minister Grabar-Kitarović laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.