Croatia and Luxembourg to strengthen economic cooperation especially in the IT sector, energy and defense industry

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met today with the Prime Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Luc Frieden, who is on an official visit to Croatia. The two prime ministers discussed global issues, achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, further enlargement of the European Union, and the focus of the discussion on bilateral relations was the strengthening of economic cooperation, especially in the IT sector, energy, defense and financial industries. Prime Minister Frieden expressed Luxembourg's strong support for Croatia's membership in the OECD.

Croatia and Luxembourg have very good and friendly political relations, Prime Minister Plenković emphasized, adding that around three thousand Croats live and work in Luxembourg, who are well integrated into all aspects of society.

Regarding economic cooperation, he stated that Luxembourg has been one of the largest investors in Croatia in recent years through its companies, while further progress in cooperation is expected, especially in the IT sector, energy and defense.

One of the possibilities for deepening economic cooperation is the financial industry, which makes up a third of the Luxembourg economy, and Luxembourg is the most developed country in the world according to the GDP per capita criterion, he added.

Prime Minister Frieden emphasized that the progress achieved in economic cooperation is largely thanks to the single market.

We will try to connect our companies in various areas, with the support of our chambers of commerce, in order to further strengthen economic relations between the two countries, he added.

The enlargement of the European Union was also discussed, and Prime Minister Frieden, after his visit to Zagreb, is traveling to Podgorica to gain first-hand insight into the readiness of the candidates for future membership.

Croatia supports the countries of Southeast Europe on their path towards membership in the European Union, of course, provided that all criteria are met, said Prime Minister Plenković.

We must continue to financially assist Ukraine, advocating for lasting and just peace

The Croatian Prime Minister recalled that a few days ago, while participating in an international conference in Vienna, he and Prime Minister Frieden spoke by phone with Ukrainian President Zelensky regarding the peace plan presented at the time, and today they also discussed the planned financial assistance to Ukraine in the period 2026-2027.

Several options are on the table to secure approximately 130 billion euros to finance not only Ukraine's defense needs, but also its entire economic, state and financial bloodstream.

Regarding support for Ukraine, Prime Minister Frieden emphasized that the way the war in Ukraine will end is important for everyone. Therefore, respect for international law is a key principle of the future peace agreement that must ensure lasting peace and Ukrainian sovereignty.

"We must reaffirm the principle that borders cannot be changed by force, and that international law is the strongest weapon, especially for smaller countries," he said.

Everything related to European security must be negotiated with the presence of Europe, and of course, with the presence of Ukraine, he emphasized, thanking everyone else for their efforts to end the war and establish peace, including the United States of America.

Equally, he added, we must continue to financially support Ukraine and expressed hope that the best solution will soon be found through a discussion of the options offered by the European Commission.

Frieden: Croatian police does a great job guarding the EU's external border

Luxembourg Prime Minister Frieden stressed that one of the reasons for this visit is the discussion on how to make Europe better, more competitive and safer, and this, he added, should not only be discussed with immediate neighbors, but with all 27-member states.

The voice of the Croatian Prime Minister is a voice that is heard in Europe, thanks to his personality, knowledge and experience, he stressed, speaking about his experience of participating in European Council meetings. Therefore, he added, it is important for him to hear his views on the challenges we face in Europe.

Europe's competitiveness is extremely important because it ensures prosperity for all citizens, Frieden believes, adding that this is easier to achieve together than each person individually. The same applies to security, he added.

In this context, he expressed satisfaction that Croatia is a member of the Schengen area, emphasizing that the Croatian police are doing an excellent job guarding the EU's external border.

Expressing strong support for Schengen, he added that he hopes that temporary restrictions on internal borders introduced by some member states will soon be lifted.

Croatia and Luxembourg are also members of the eurozone, he added, and expressed support for Croatia on its path towards OECD membership.

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