Minister Jandroković congratulated his colleague Poposki on his appointment as foreign minister
Minister Jandroković congratulated his colleague Poposki on his appointment as foreign minister. He expressed satisfaction over Croatia’s being the first country he had officially visited, considering it a sign of friendship, trust and a wish for further enhancement of the bilateral relations, which both sides described as excellent and free of outstanding issues. They are additionally being strengthened by frequent visits by Croatian and Macedonian officials, as well as the intensive political dialogue and dynamic cooperation within the Adriatic Charter and regional initiatives and forums.
Special emphasis was placed on the topic of European integration. Minister Jandroković said that the closure of Croatia’s EU negotiations had sent a clear signal to the countries of South Eastern Europe that it was possible to successfully complete said process once the required reforms were implemented and the criteria met. He reiterated Croatia’s support for Macedonia and other countries in the region along their path to European integration, describing it as the only guarantee of a lasting peace, stability and prosperity in Europe’s southeast.
He also said that Croatia would continue to advocate the continuation of the EU enlargement, based on countries’ individual achievements, and continue to transfer the knowledge and experience from its own accession process. In that regard, Minister Poposki thanked Croatia for its assistance to Macedonia along its Euro-integration road.
Discussing the economic cooperation, the ministers agreed that there was room for its further intensification, recalling that in the first half of the year the trade had totalled €100 million, which is 15% more than in the same period the year before. To that end, they proposed the forming of a special ministerial coordination within which the two countries’ relevant bodies would work on taking the economic cooperation to a higher level and facilitating the business of the two countries’ companies. Minister Jandroković pointed out that certain Croatian companies had already express interest in a stronger appearance on and investment in the Macedonian market.
As a special bridge between their countries, the ministers pointed out the Macedonian and Croatian minority, expressing satisfaction with the realization of minority rights as per the Agreement on Minority Protection. They concurred that said manner of solving the minority issue could serve as an example to the other countries in the region.
The collocutors also touched on the current political and security situation in South Eastern Europe, with Minister Jandroković emphasizing that sustainable stability of the region was in Croatia’s national interest as well.
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