Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Friday received an official visit from Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoglu. This was the first official visit from a Turkish foreign minister in 12 years.
The two officials held bilateral talks on the prospects of further strengthening the cooperation. Grlić Radman welcomed the strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries, underscoring satisfaction that Turkish companies had recognized Croatia as a county offering numerous business opportunities, notably in tourism, energy and infrastructure.
In addition, Grlić Radman highlighted Turkey’s role as a crucial EU partner in a number of areas, including migration, security, the fight against terrorism, as well as economy and trade. Given Turkey’s status as an EU candidate and NATO ally, Grlić Radman said it was in the EU’s interest to develop efficient cooperation with the country, underlining that Croatia would continue to push for a constructive dialogue and the deepening of EU-Turkey relations.
The two ministers also discussed the fight against terrorist threats and migration management. Grlić Radman informed Çavuşoglu about Croatia’s measures against illegal migration and human trafficking, in other words the challenges the country faces due to continued migratory pressure along the Western Balkan route.
Moreover, the two ministers exchanged views on the situation in Southeast Europe, with a focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as on the situation in Turkey’s wider region.
Çavuşoglu began his visit with a tour of quake-hit areas in Petrinja, where he handed over one of the 200 housing containers to a local family. Grlić Radman thanked his counterpart for Turkey’s generous humanitarian assistance and solidarity. The Turkish minister expressed sympathy over the devastating earthquake, underscoring the willingness of Turkish companies to take part in the reconstruction.