First meeting of Interstate Croatian-Flemish Commission held in Brussels

The Interstate Commission is tasked with arranging and monitoring the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the Flemish Region. The said Agreement was signed in Zagreb 13 November 2006 and came into force 1 February 2008. It covers a wide spectrum of cooperation in economy, culture, science, environmental protection et al, and foresees the drawing up of concrete two-year cooperation programs.

The Interstate Commission agreed upon the 2009/2010 Two-Year Cooperation Program and signed the Program’s contents, opening the possibility of a wider and more concrete bilateral cooperation between Croatia and Flanders.

State Secretary Vrtarić expressed satisfaction with the Flemish Region’s readiness to assist Croatia in its EU accession and invest in a series of projects in Croatia.

Regional Foreign Minister Verlaeckt also pointed out that the 2006 Agreement enabled the Croatian partners to propose concrete projects within the Flemish assistance program for Central and Eastern European countries, and already financed Croatian projects in 2007 and 2008.

Yesterday in the building of the Flemish Government in Brussels, organized by the Croatian Embassy to Belgium, an MFAEI exhibition was ceremonially opened entitled “Croatia’s Monuments on UNESCO World Heritage List”. The exhibition was opened by Ambassador Boris Grigić and Secretary General Koen Verlaeckt. Also present were State Secretary Vrtarić and Assistant Culture Minister Jasminka Lokas-Strpić, along with members of the diplomatic corps, Flemish officials, and numerous other invitees.