Minister Grlić Radman attends meeting of NATO foreign ministers

There are no outstanding issues between Croatia and the USA, the visa regime has been lifted and an agreement on avoiding double taxation has been signed, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said in Brussels on Wednesday after talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
 
"We agreed that there are no outstanding issues between the two countries, I welcomed what the US Administration had done for us in the last few years, I expressed gratitude for the cancellation of the visa regime, and for the agreement on the avoidance of double taxation," Grlić Radman told reporters after meeting with Blinken on the margins of a meeting of foreign ministers of NATO member countries.
 
Blinken welcomed Croatia's entry to the Schengen and euro areas and underlined the fact that Croatia was becoming an energy hub in Central and Eastern Europe, said Grlić Radman.
 
Also discussed was Croatia's southeast neighbourhood, notably Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
"The US Administration continues to be actively present in BiH and constructively advocates BiH's functional stability," he said, adding that BiH is sustainable only if the Dayton peace agreement is complied with.
 
"We underlined the importance of the guarantees for the equality of the three constituent peoples and other citizens," the Croatian minister said.
 
He added that they welcomed the formation of the state-level government in BiH and called for forming the government in the BiH Federation entity.
 
"Mr Blinken stressed that it was important for BiH and all its institutions to be functional especially now that the country has the status of an EU candidate," Grlić Radman said.
 
Asked about proposals to set as a new NATO target the allocation of a minimum 2% of GDP for defence instead of the current maximum 2%, Grlić Radman said that it would probably refer to the minimum allocation but that the matter would be further discussed.
 
"We have agreed in principle for now that NATO should strengthen its defence capacity," he said.
 
Asked to comment on the election of Jakov Milatović as Montenegro's new president, Grlić Radman said that it was an internal matter of Montenegro and its citizens and that one should respect it.
 
What matters to Croatia is the status of the Croat minority in that country and Milatović's messages regarding all minorities in Montenegro are encouraging, said Grlić Radman, adding that Croatia will continue to help Montenegro on its path to EU membership.
 
Text: Hina/MVEP

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