ZAGREB, March 12, 2018 – Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović met on Monday in Argentina with her Argentinean counterpart Mauricio Macri, and the two heads of state discussed the Croatian emigrant community in that country, avoiding double taxation, the economy and culture.
“We exchanged opinions on how to improve relations between the two countries, on how Croatia can help Argentina within the European Union with regard to further trade and signing agreements with Mercosur,” President Grabar-Kitarović said in reference to the South American trade bloc comprising Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
The alliance cooperates with other South American countries and currently negotiations are underway on a trade agreement to be signed with the EU. “A special topic was the Croatian diaspora community in Argentina and in that context we spoke about an agreement on avoiding double taxation,” she added.
The talks with Macri also focused on strengthening economic cooperation, which will also be discussed at a Croatian-Argentinean economic forum scheduled for Tuesday, with 18 Croatian companies presenting themselves at the forum.
The two countries signed an agreement on further cultural cooperation, and President Grabar-Kitarović met with the speaker of Argentina’s parliament.
She thanked the Croats who attended wreath laying ceremonies in Plaza San Martin in Buenos Aires, noting that they “have shown that they are proud citizens of Argentina but that they want to maintain ties to and their love for Croatia.” About 250,000 Croats live in Argentina.
Grabar-Kitarović is conducting a tour of South America during which she will also visit Chile and Brazil. She is the third Croatian president to visit South America. Franjo Tuđman visited Argentina in 1994 and his successor Stjepan Mesić travelled to Chile in 2005.
