Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman 2 March 2020 held a working meeting with Albania’s Acting Foreign Minister Gent Cakaj.
The two officials underscored excellent bilateral relations and traditionally strong ties between Croatia and Albania. Grlić Radman said that Croatia saw the reaching of the decision to launch accession talks with Albania as an introduction to the Zagreb Summit in May, which is one of the main goals of Croatia’s Council of the EU presidency.
The Zagreb Summit is a unique opportunity to lay down a political-strategic framework by which the EU would show support for the enlargement policy. Grlić Radman highlighted the symbolic importance of the summit taking place 20 years after the Zagreb Summit of 2000, which opened Croatia's European prospects. In addition, he stressed that Croatia advocated for the progress of all Southeast European countries on their EU journey based on the fulfilment of criteria and individual merit.
During his visit to Tirana, Grlić Radman also held talks with Albanian President Ilir Meta and EU Ambassador to Albania Luigi Soreca.