PM Plenkovic: Israeli PM might visit Croatia this summer

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic met with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on the margins of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday.

They discussed ways of increasing economic and political cooperation between the two countries, and Plenkovic announced that Netanyahu might visit Croatia this summer.

"I expect further development of cooperation with Israel, particularly in agriculture and as part of Mediterranean cooperation. We have also offered cooperation in shipbuilding, but that would require further engagement, and of course cooperation in political multilateral forums and defence cooperation," PM Plenkovic told the press.

The Croatian prime minister visited Israel last year, when he invited Netanyahu to visit Croatia.

"I expect Prime Minister Netanyahu will visit Croatia before the end of this year, possibly in June or July," Plenkovic said. "I think that will be an important signal for strengthening Croatian-Israeli relations," he added.

PM Plenkovic also met with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Speaking of Greece, Plenkovic stressed the need to increase economic cooperation with that country. "We need to strengthen our cooperation in the Adriatic-Ionian basin and make use of the EU strategy for that area, that is the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, and increase economic, energy and transport corridors in this part of Europe."

The meeting with Rutte, whose country is among major investors in Croatia, focused on cooperation within the EU and on all aspects relating to Croatia and EU enlargement, notably a new enlargement strategy which the European Commission is expected to announce in two weeks.

Asked by the press about EU-US relations in light of statements by EU leaders against a policy of protectionism, Plenkovic said that relations with the United States were important and that despite the policy of US President Donald Trump, summarised in the slogan "America First", the US always put emphasis on cooperation at the global level.

"Relations with America are important. The EU is a champion of multilateralism, seeking consensus and to be inclusive. The discontent is primarily due to the fact that America withdrew from the Paris agreement on climate change, a signal that was not approved by any of the EU member states. However, I haven't noticed that anyone has anything against the US president coming to Davos. On the contrary, US Congressmen have said today that 'America First' doesn't mean America without its partners and without cooperation at the global level," PM Plenkovic said.

Text: Hina

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