Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Tuesday met with his Bulgarian counterpart Mariya Gabriel.
“Our countries are linked by centuries-long ties and our relations have always been exceptionally friendly, with no outstanding issues, and remain so in these challenging times. Today we have confirmed the closeness of our positions - we have similar interests in the alliances to which we belong, and we will continue our cooperation to strengthen the broader frameworks in which we find ourselves today, such as the EU and NATO,” Grlić Radman underlined.
The two ministers agreed that Croatia and Bulgaria shared the same goal of joining the OECD, continuing to support each other in the process and sharing experiences.
Grlić Radman said that by sending members of the Croatian Armed Forces to the enhanced Vigilance Activities in Bulgaria, Croatia together with the host and other partner and ally countries, continues to contribute to maintaining stability and security along NATO’s eastern border.
The minister said that an important component of the two countries' cooperation within the EU is concern for the security of its external borders, adding that Bulgaria can count on Croatia’s support in its efforts to become a full member of the Schengen Area and the Eurozone.
Grlić Radman and Gabriel agreed on the need to continue supporting Ukraine and expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis is the Middle East. “Global crises like these remind us how important the stability and security of our immediate neighbourhood the Western Balkans is. That is why the continuation of the EU enlargement process is of crucial importance. All of the Western Balkan countries that truly want to join need a European perspective, but criteria have to be insisted on - the rule of law, good neighbourly relations, respect for ethnic minorities, and alignment of foreign and security policies with those of the EU,” the minister stressed.
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