Minister Grabar-Kitarović received today, July 13, 2005, to an official visit Malta’s Foreign Affairs Minister Frendo

Minister Grabar-Kitarović said she was satisfied with very good bilateral relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Malta, which were on the rise and without any open issues left. During the conversation on ecology and oceanography, Minister Grabar-Kitarović stressed the Croatian business sea ports were interesting to the Maltese investors, and that the Maltese market could serve the Croatian entrepreneurs as a road to North African market. She said it was necessary to speed up trade between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Malta, and to boost exchange in the fields of agriculture, tourism, shipbuilding, and pharmaceutical industry. The Minister announced a co-operation between the Croatian and the Maltese Universities, as well as an increased co-operation between the two countries' Foreign Affairs Ministries and Diplomatic Academies. Minister Grabar-Kitarović reported to Minister Frendo on the maximum efforts the Republic of Croatia was making in order to meet all the conditions of the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague on a full co-operation and implementation of the Croatian Government Action Plan, and thanked the Republic of Malta on the support it provided for the Republic of Croatia.

The Republic of Malta Foreign Affairs Minister Frendo said the Republic of Malta recognised the efforts Croatia was making in the process of approaching the European Union, and stressed the Republic of Malta would continue to act friendly towards the Republic of Croatia and would strongly support its soon accession to the European Union. Minister Frendo mentioned he thought it was important to increase the two countries' co-operation in the fields of economy, particularly tourism from the aspects of large tourist boats transport, and industry, in terms of direct investments in both countries.