ZAGREB, May 14, 2019 – Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa on Monday for talks about the two countries’ economic cooperation, with Grabar-Kitarović saying that the Croatian government was making efforts to improve the investment climate and expressing confidence that Canada would increase its investment in Croatia.
Grabar-Kitarović said the Croatian government was continuously working on improving the investment climate and the legal framework to assist business people in both countries through measures providing equal conditions for doing business and investment for both national and foreign companies. She expressed confidence Canada would recognise Croatia as an investment destination, according to a press release issued by the President’s Office.
Stressing the importance of the two countries’ cooperation in science and education, Grabar-Kitarović expressed satisfaction with a broad range of cooperation between Canadian and Croatian universities, which includes two Croatian studies centres at the universities of Waterloo and Toronto.
Grabar-Kitarović said she was grateful for the fact that the Croatian language was integrated in the elementary and high school systems in Ontario and British Columbia.
At the talk with Trudeau, Grabar-Kitarović underscored the contribution the Croat community in Canada made not only to the development of strong relations between the two countries but also to Canada’s overall development.
Trudeau congratulated Grabar Kitarović on taking over the chairmanship of the Council of Women World Leaders, the only organisation in the world dedicated to women heads of state and government, the statement said.
President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović also met with Governor General Julie Payette in Ottawa. They reaffirmed the strong ties between the two countries bound by friendship, mutual respect and the same values, the President’s Office said in a press release.
Grabar-Kitarović said that Croatia and Canada shared the same views, promoting democracy, rule of law, and respect for human rights and freedoms.
Croatia actively promotes gender equality, empowerment of women and girls to ensure equal access to education, justice and political freedoms. We share the same values, we are partners and allies in NATO and other organisations, Grabar-Kitarović said.
The president noted that Canada had one of the largest and most successful Croatian emigrant communities. She said that the Croatian people and she personally were very proud of the Croatian community in Canada and their contribution to the overall development of Canada, adding that the Croatian community was a strong link between the two countries.
Grabar-Kitarović said that Canada was an extraordinary example of multiculturalism and respect for different ethnic groups, their language, culture and customs, expressing her confidence that her visit would encourage further advancement of Croatian-Canadian relations.
After the meeting, the Croatian president attended a tree planting ceremony.
Earlier on, Grabar-Kitarović met with members of the Croatian community and presented the Charter of the Republic of Croatia to St Nikola Tavelić Parish of Montreal and Ottawa’s Croatian Catholic Parish of St Leopold Mandić for their outstanding contribution to the provision of social and spiritual care and for their pastoral activity among Croatian emigrants in Canada.
More news about relations between Croatia and Canada can be found in the Politics section.
