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MOSTAR, May 2 (FENA) - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said at the opening of the Mostar 2023 International Business Fair that Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are strategic partners, both politically and economically, and announced the further strengthening of economic ties between the two countries.
- I am glad that today's fair is being held in the context of an important, changed circumstantial element for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is that Bosnia and Herzegovina has become a candidate country for membership in the European Union since December last year. It is a big step forward, a great value for the whole country and, in my opinion, after these brave decisions of the high representative, it creates a framework for progress, for economic development and for deeper integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the European Union - Plenković said in his speech.
He added that political stability and functional institutions are of key importance for the economic progress of any country.
- These recent major political steps that have taken place in the formation of the FBiH Government, in my opinion, give a clear signal to the economy and to all citizens of BiH, to all constituent nations, but also to all others, that BiH is facing a period of faster and more intensive development - he said.
Plenković pointed out that in the last seven years since he was the head of the Croatian government, it was thanks to political stability that the Republic of Croatia realized most of its strategic goals, such as deeper integration into the Schengen area and the euro area.
He stated that European countries have been facing unprecedented challenges in the last three years, from the corona crisis to disruptions in the energy market and inflationary pressure, which were caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine.
- In this light, I also see the possibility of intensifying our cooperation. Croatia is an important, I would say strategic partner, both in the political and economic sense. The trade scale will reach four billion euros in 2022. We have increased it by 50 percent compared to previous years, and this year's numbers show that this exchange is 10 percent higher than last year. This can only mean that our economic knowledge and reliance on each other will be increasing - Plenković pointed out.
He added that his wish is for the cooperation to benefit both parties and reminded that Croatia has so far invested 1.3 billion euros in Bosnia and Herzegovina's economy.
- Croatia is determined to help Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of energy and therefore, in the context of the energy crisis, where we are all faced with the need to diversify supply routes, we want to offer Bosnia and Herzegovina additional strategic value, which Croatia secured by building a terminal for liquefied natural gas on the island of Krk, whose we will raise the capacities from 2.8 billion cubic meters of gas to 6.1 million cubic meters of gas with additional investment - said the Croatian Prime Minister.
In this context, he pointed out, Croatia is ready to invest in the southern gas interconnection through which Bosnia and Herzegovina would receive gas from Croatia.
- I think that it is of strategic importance in the long term and I would like us to do it in partnership with the European Commission and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, but above all, in partnership with the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Plenković said.
He announced a joint session of the Council of Ministers of BiH and the Government of the Republic of Croatia on June 20 in Zagreb, where, as he said, numerous points of cooperation will be found and efforts will be made to give a political pulse to further improvement of cooperation.
- Our support is sincere, friendly, benevolent. We will be the most engaged advocate of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the way to the European Union, and we want that partnership to have its impact on the improvement of economic relations - said Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
(FENA) L. N.
