Plenković and Merkel: Relations between the two countries are excellent, support Southeast Europe on its path to the EU

German Chancellor Angela Merkel received Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković with military honors on Monday in Berlin, reports Croatian Jutarnji, relayed by Patria.

Merkel and Plenković concluded that German-Croatian relations are excellent and emphasized the need to strengthen support for Southeast European countries on their path to full membership in the European Union, particularly highlighting Bosnia and Herzegovina.

- I am pleased that Croatia has now focused its policy on financial and economic policy. This is important and good for the people in Croatia, and we, from the German side, naturally want to support this process, said Angela Merkel after the meeting with Andrej Plenković, emphasizing that German-Croatian relations are excellent.

She also pointed out the need for further strengthening of economic relations.

- Around 380 German companies are active in Croatia, providing 80,000 jobs, which is 10 percent of employees in the private sector in Croatia. I think this is an important contribution to Croatia's economic development, said Merkel.
 
- Our talks were another confirmation of excellent and friendly relations, confirmed Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. He also added that all problems related to economic development will be resolved through intensive discussions at the ministerial level, as well as at the working group level.

He added that he also discussed with the Chancellor how to support Southeast European countries on their path to the European Union.

- We jointly concluded that it is necessary to help Southeast European countries in the process of European reforms, and this particularly applies to Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path, said Plenković, adding that Croatia is ready to help with its fresh experience from the negotiation process.

- We can also help Bosnia and Herzegovina as a full member of the European Union, of course, while insisting on the equality of all three constituent peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Plenković.

Chancellor Angela Merkel also expressed satisfaction that Bosnia and Herzegovina has met the conditions for continuing the process of approaching the European Union.

Regarding Serbia's perspective on its path to the EU, Plenković emphasized that he hopes that many open issues with Serbia will be resolved during his government's mandate and that the negotiation process is an excellent opportunity for this.

Merkel agreed with her Croatian counterpart that open issues between Croatia and Serbia should be resolved, but also emphasized that problems between Croatia and Serbia should be resolved on a bilateral level, not through the negotiation process.

When asked by journalists how he would comment on the rise in popularity of populists in Southeast Europe and beyond, Plenković explained that his party is fighting against such tendencies.

- HDZ conducted its campaign on a moderate center-right platform with European traditions, and we showed how one can win without populism. The culture of political action needs to be raised; we will strive with all our might through foreign policy to influence the increase of political culture in the region, said Plenković.

This is Andrej Plenković's first visit to Berlin as Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, writes Jutarnji.