Croatian PM says EU wants to set up negotiating framework for Brexit by 29 April

The European Union wants to set up a negotiating framework for Great Britain's exit from the bloc by 29 April so the two sides can launch negotiations on Brexit, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in Valletta on Wednesday.

Plenkovic is on an official visit to Malta where he held talks with President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and his Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat, on Brexit and other topics.

"We want to agree on a negotiating framework in the weeks before the European Council meeting on April 29 so that Michel Barnier can launch negotiations with Great Britain about its leaving the EU," Plenkovic said.

He stressed Croatia would suffer the least consequences of Great Britain's exit from the EU, even in light of the fact that many Croatian citizens live there. Plenkovic stressed, however, Croatia wanted EU citizens living in Britain to retain their rights even after Brexit.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday activated Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon to launch the procedure for her country's exit from the EU, thus officially starting the two-year disassociation process.

Plenkovic and his hosts also talked about bilateral relations between Croatia and Malta and the strengthening of the two countries' cooperation.

Plenkovic also said that Malta is on the front line of the migration wave, which is why it advocated a firm and clear agreement on the migration policy which would protect EU external borders and step up cooperation with African countries.

On Thursday, Plenkovic is scheduled to take part in the European People's Party congress which will focus on the future of the European Union after Brexit.

The EPP congress, which started in St Julian's on the northern shore of Malta on Tuesday, is also being attended by the head of the Croatian Democratic Union/EPP delegation, MEP Dubravka Suica, and MEPs Ivana Maletic, Zeljana Zovko and Ivica Tolic.

The EPP is the largest EU political party grouping. Some 2,500 participants have been invited from over 40 countries to attend the Malta Congress.

Among those invited are Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Irish Prime Minister and former Vice-President of the EPP Enda Kenny, Romanian President Klaus Johannis, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, European Commission President Jean Claude Juncker, EP President Antonio Tajani and European Council President Donald Tusk.

Foto: president.gov.mk / DOI (Jason Borg, Pierre Sammut)
Text: Hina
 

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