Expressing belief that this visit too will contribute to the further enhancement of the already very good relations between the two countries, the two collocutors agreed that a high level of co-operation has been achieved in a number of basic foreign-policy issues, the most important being approaching the Euro-Atlantic integration. In that regard, both sides agreed that the Protocol signed today will provide a new incentive to the development of bilateral co-operation.
The meeting also discussed the further improvement of the two countries’ economic relations and trade, which in the past years have been constantly on the rise. The overall trade in the first half of 2008 totalled $245 million, which is a 34% increase in relation to the same period last year. Pointing out that numerous Croatian companies are interested in appearing on the Macedonian market, Minister Jandroković commended the reforms the Macedonian government is implementing to attract foreign investment.
As regards the EU membership, Minister Jandroković said that it remains the priority strategic goals of Croatia’s foreign policy, pointing out that by the end of the year the Croatian Government plans to open the remaining chapters and close them as soon as possible, so that the negations could end by fall 2009. He emphasized that Croatia is willing to offer Macedonia all the assistance it will need. He congratulated Macedonia on the successfully implemented economic reforms, as well as on the progress in justice reform and combating corruption.
Regarding the minority rights protection and realisation, Minister Jandroković expressed satisfaction with the founding of the Mixed Committee for the Implementation of the Minority Rights Agreement. He asked of his Macedonian counterpart for an institutional solution to the financing of the Community of Croats in Macedonia, numbering 5 000 members.
As a part of his official visit, Minister Jandroković met this morning with Macedonian Parliament Speaker Trajko Veljanovski, and will meet in the afternoon with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski and Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Bočevski. The meeting will see the exchange of opinions on the successful co-operation between Croatia and Macedonia. They will also point out the intention to continue with the intensive bi- and multilateral co-operation, in order to contribute to the stabilisation and progress in the two countries and the region.