ZAGREB, May 24, 2019 – Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić and French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Thursday in Paris, where Pejčinović Burić took part in the presentation of candidates for the post of Secretary General of the Council of Europe, that Croatia and France had stepped up bilateral cooperation.
Pejčinović Burić was on a visit to Paris on May 22-23, where she held a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings.
She is running of the post of Secretary General of the Council of Europe against her Belgian counterpart Didier Reynders.
The Parliamentary Assembly will proceed with the election of the next Secretary General during its June part-session.
The talks with Le Drian focused on the “year-long implementation of the action plan for the Strategic Partnership 2018-2021. The two ministers agreed the political dialogue had been stepped up and bilateral cooperation intensified, notably in the sectors of the economy, home affairs, culture, science and education,” the Croatian foreign ministry said in a press release.
The ministers also talked about France’s support to Croatia’s entering the Schengen zone and the euro area, the ministry said, adding that special attention was attached to cooperation aimed at strengthening stability in Southeast Europe and EU prospects of Southeast European countries.
Pejčinović Burić also held talks with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay about UNESCO’s strategic transformation and initiatives regarding education, artificial intelligence and biodiversity.
More news about relations between Croatia and France can be found in the Politics section.
