Zagreb: Croatia and Cyprus have reached an agreement on all strategic points and foreign policy issues, with a shared goal of accelerating the European Union enlargement process. This was announced by the Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, following his meeting with the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, on Tuesday in Zagreb.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Plenkovic emphasized Croatia’s aim to increase trade volumes and engage Croatian companies in projects that will enhance trade and commercial exchanges between the two nations. He also expressed eagerness for cooperation with Cyprus within the framework of the Mediterranean policy.
The Croatian Prime Minister expressed gratitude to President Christodoulides, highlighting that this was the first visit by a Cypriot President to Croatia in 19 years. Plenkovic welcomed Cyprus’s upcoming presidency of the European Union starting January 1st next year.
The discussions between the two leaders covered various topics, including security and energy, EU enlargement, the Russian aggression against Ukraine, and President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza. Plenkovic described the bilateral relations as friendly and strong, noting his previous visits to Cyprus and meetings with Cypriot leaders.
He reiterated Croatia’s aim to engage companies like KONCAR and Tesla in expanding trade relations. Plenkovic emphasized the shared interests of Croatia and Cyprus within the European Union, particularly their agreement on strategic points and foreign policy issues, and the desire to accelerate the EU enlargement process.
On the topic of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Plenkovic condemned the aggression and advocated for a ceasefire to facilitate the reintegration of occupied territories. He also praised President Trump’s 20-point initiative for Gaza, stressing the importance of international stabilisation forces and a comprehensive peaceful solution for Israel and Palestine.
Plenkovic highlighted Croatia’s need for more time to reach the EU average level of development per capita, noting the country’s current position at 70% of the average. He also mentioned the potential for cooperation with Cyprus through European Commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka €š¬…¡¬‚¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬¦¡¬‚¬Å¡¬€¦¡¬¦¡¬¦ uica, in areas such as science and culture.
Concluding his remarks, Plenkovic underscored Croatia’s role in strengthening European security alongside Cyprus and expressed anticipation for the Cypriot presidency of the European Union.