Croatian PM meets French-Croatian parliamentary friendship group and Croat emigrants in Paris

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Paris on Monday met with representatives of the French-Croatian parliamentary friendship group and Croatian emigrants in that country.

"It is nice to be here again, in the Croatian Embassy in Paris where I spent five years in the second half of the last decade," PM Plenkovic said.

The PM said that over half a million French tourists visited Croatia last year and expressed confidence Croatia and France would step up economic cooperation within the framework of the strategic partnership, which the two countries signed in 2010.

Earlier on Monday, Plenkovic held talks with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) secretary-general, Angel Gurria, at OECD's HQ in Paris.

PM Plenkovic said Croatia expected both Slovenia and Hungary to honour the decision that European Union member states should support each other in joining the OECD.

"The principled position is that we should all support each other. There is a platform, a very clear political decision, and I expect both Slovenia and Hungary to honour this EU decision and support Croatia on the journey to the OECD as that, in the end, is also in their interest because of our economic relations, trade, and the strengthening of Croatia among financial and other international organisations that deal with the economy," PM Plenkovic said after talks with OECD secretary-general Gurria.

However, Slovenia and Hungary have announced they will block Croatia's candidacy, Slovenia because of Croatia's refusal to recognise a border arbitration ruling, and Hungary because of the relations between Croatia's oil company INA and Hungary's MOL. The OECD has 35 member states, the most developed world economies.

PM Plenkovic said Monday Croatia wanted the OECD's help in economic and structural reforms as it possessed very important expert knowledge of the economy, finance, combating corruption, public procurement, the tax policy and everything else that could help Croatia meet its national reform programme.

"We expect that, in the weeks ahead, the ambitions of the six countries-aspirants which wish to join the organisation will be discussed at the level of the OECD Council. We expect that in the process that will last the next year, year and a half, our talks will intensify and that Croatia will gain access to various international legal documents which the OECD has, thus gradually heading for membership. The secretary general's position is very affirmative of Croatia and we will continue this dialogue during 2018."

On Tuesday, PM Plenkovic is due to attend the One Planet Summit on climate change together with about 50 heads of state or government.

Text: Hina

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