State Secretary Bianca Matković met with Macedonian Deputy Foreign Minister Zoran Petrov

The collocutors expressed satisfaction with the two countries’ very good and friendly relations, as confirmed by a series of highest-level visits. They also pointed out the cooperation and mutual support in priority issues of the foreign-policy relations, as well as within the constant exchange of regional initiatives experience.

The meeting discussed the continuation and further enhancement of the cultural, scientific, and especially economic cooperation between Croatia and Macedonia, emphasizing that last year trade totalled $400 million, which is an increase of almost 30% in relation to 2007. State Secretary Matković informed Deputy Minister Petrov about the interest Croatian businessmen to invest in Macedonia, namely in food industry and road building, stating that both countries’ tourist sector hold great potential as well.

The meeting also discussed the implementation of the Agreement on Respective Minority Protection, which the collocutors described as an important document in finding a permanent solution to the status of the Croatian minority in Macedonia and the Macedonian minority in Croatia. It was also pointed out that high expectations are held for the activities of the Intergovernmental Mixed Committee for the implementation of said agreement, whose first meeting is due January 27th in Skopje.

Reviewing the current course of Croatia’s EU accession negotiations, State Secretary Matković pointed out the Croatian Government’s resolution to complete them by the end of this year, in accordance with the European Commission’s Indicative Timetable.