Plenković and French Minister Haddad on bilateral, European and global issues

This cooperation was further strengthened by the official visit of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to France in December, at the invitation of the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron, during which a Croatian-French economic forum was held with the participation of numerous Croatian and French companies.

The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the further development of the Strategic Partnership between Croatia and France, within which the Action Plan for the period 2026-2028 was adopted, and cooperation in the field of security and defense policy was particularly emphasized.

During today's talks, special emphasis was placed on further strengthening and deepening economic cooperation between Croatia and France, including strengthening cooperation between companies and developing joint projects.

It was positively assessed that, following the procurement of Rafale fighter jets, Croatia and France have further deepened defense cooperation by signing a contract for the procurement of 18 CAESAR MK2 self-propelled howitzers.

The meeting also discussed the situation in Croatia's neighborhood, and the need to preserve stability and provide a credible European perspective to the countries of Southeast Europe.

Prime Minister Plenković and Minister Haddad exchanged views on the complex global circumstances, with an emphasis on the negotiations to end the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the importance of achieving a lasting, just and sustainable peace, with full respect for international law and the sovereignty of Ukraine.