President to Leave on Tuesday for Official Visit of Croatia

Bratislava, June 29 (TASR) – President Peter Pellegrini will travel to Zagreb on Tuesday (July 1) for an official visit to Croatia at the invitation of Croatian President Zoran Milanovic - with the aim to reaffirm the close bilateral ties and support the development of economic cooperation, TASR learnt from the President's Office press department on Sunday. The two presidents will also discuss current foreign policy issues, „This will be the first visit of a Slovak head of state to Croatia in eight years and the first official visit in thirteen years. The trip also fits thematically into the president’s broader visits to Western Balkan countries,” the office added. Also present for the one-day visit will be Economy Minister Denisa Sakova and Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (both Voice-SD), due to accompany the president. Together with the Croatian head of state, Pellegrini is slated to open the Slovak-Croatian Business Forum, which will feature a large delegation of Slovak entrepreneurs representing nearly 30 companies. In addition to meeting with President Milanovic, Pellegrini will also hold talks with Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. „The fulcrum of the meetings will be expanding and strengthening cooperation in the fields of economy, energy, defence and security; cooperation within NATO; EU enlargement to Western Balkan countries; migration; green transformation, and artificial intelligence,” the office said. As part of the official programme, President Pellegrini will lay a wreath at the Homeland Memorial to honour the victims and heroes who contributed to Croatia’s independence and freedom, and meet with members of the Slovak expatriate community living in Croatia. mf