Minister Gordan Jandroković received Montenegro Parliament Speaker Ranko Krivokapić

Minister Jandroković and Parliament Speaker Krivokapić expressed satisfaction with the high level of cooperation and friendly relations between the Republic of Croatia and Montenegro. The political cooperation was also described as very good, and the two countries are successfully cooperating in numerous areas of joint interest as well, such as defense, police, culture, justice, and regional initiatives. The meeting also touched upon the two countries further cooperation in education.

Minister Jandroković applauded the sending of European Commission’s Questionnaire to Montenegro, which came about shortly after its candidate status application, declaring Croatia’s full support and willingness to transfer its own experience. The collocutors also talked about Croatia’s NATO membership, with Minister Jandroković expressing Croatia’s support for Montenegro’s own membership.

Regarding Croatia’s EU accession negotiations, Minister Jandroković informed Parliament Speaker Krivokapić about their current course, expressing conviction that the entire negotiating process would be completed in 2010.

The collocutors also exchanged opinions about the current political and economic relations in South Eastern Europe, and welcomed the continuation of the activities of the Mixed Croatia-Montenegro Commission tasked with preparing the legal demarcation procedure before the International Court of Justice at the Hague.

In regard to the last year’s overall trade, Croatia’s export approximated €126 million, and the import from Montenegro €5 million, resulting in a €121-million surplus on the Croatian side. This has been the trend for the past few years, so the collocutors pinpointed the areas of cooperation so as to extend the positive economic curve, namely in transport and energy connectedness, tourism, and further investment.