Prime Minister Plenković met in Davos with OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria.
Membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is important for Croatia since this international organization, which Croatia is not yet a member of, would give final legitimacy to the country in several areas which would be especially useful in attracting foreign investors, said on Thursday in Davos Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, reports Jutarnji List on January 20, 2017.
He arrived on Thursday afternoon to the World Economic Forum in Davos and had several bilateral meetings, including with OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria. “We have discussed steps which Croatia should take with regards to the membership in OECD. It is almost the only international organization left for us to join which would give us legitimacy in terms of economic situation, fiscal responsibility and the functioning of the rule of law. It would be very useful”, said Plenković to reporters after the meeting.
OECD has 35 member countries, the most economically developed countries in the world, and is currently focused on Croatia, Romania, Argentina and Peru. Prime Minister said that it would be good if OECD would during 2017 confirm that it is interested in Croatian membership. Such a decision would be followed by negotiations and Croatia could join the organization in the next wave of enlargement.
Plenković stressed that OECD membership would give Croatia an extra boost, “especially with international investors, which is one of the more important messages we can send as events such as this”.
In addition to Gurria, Plenković met with EU High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. They discussed upcoming meetings of the European Council, as well as the issues of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo, which are “priorities for both Croatia and the EU”.
Prime Minister also met with Swiss President Doris Leuthard and the Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili.
On Friday, Plenković will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and will also participate in a panel on the strengthening of Europe’s eastern neighbourhood, which will be attended by Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandrar Vučić, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz and European Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn.
This will be Plenković’s first meeting with Stoltenberg since becoming prime minister. “I want to hear his analysis with regards to inauguration of US President Donald Trump, as well as an analysis of the security situation in Southeast Europe and the Croatian role in the NATO”, said Plenković, adding that it was important that Croatia this year increased its defence budget. “I think this is the right signal because NATO wants countries which are able to be interoperable with other allies”, said Plenković.
