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Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković met via video link the Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Croatia and the People’s Republic of China.
According to Chairman Li, this was his first meeting with one of the EU Member States Speakers of Parliament this year. Noting that the relations between the two countries were traditionally friendly and based on partnership, Jandroković and Li expressed their mutual desire to further strengthen political and economic co-operation between Croatia and China, stressing the importance of parliamentary diplomacy and co-operation through the China+16 and Belt and Road initiatives.
Both sides expressed their satisfaction with the completion of Pelješac Bridge, which is planned to be open for traffic at mid-year, stressing that Pelješac Bridge is a symbol of successful cooperation between the two countries. Speaker Jandroković pointed out that Croatia attached great importance to strengthening its economic relations with China and mentioned the Senj Wind Farm as a good example for China-Croatia cooperation.
The Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee stressed that Croatia was one of China's greatest friends in the European Union. He also pointed out the fact that Croatia was the first EU Member State in which a Chinese company had been involved in a strategic infrastructure project funded by European funds. The two officials also touched on the market success of Croatian high-tech companies in China, such as Rimac Automobili, INFOBIP, Dok-ing and Končar, with Chairman Li also emphasizing the successful operation of these Croatian companies and the openness of Chinese state institutions for cooperation and assistance. Speaker Jandroković said he hoped that once the pandemic was over, Chinese tourists would return to Croatia in large numbers.
Croatia acknowledges China's strategic economic and external role and its impact on world peace and stability, as well as its commitment to strengthening multilateralism and respect for international law, Jandroković said. He added that Croatia wanted to further strengthen bilateral relations, especially on the economic front, and through multilateral cooperation on key issues of today's globalized world.
Jandroković and Li also discussed the situation in Croatia's neighbourhood, with an emphasis on Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the war in Ukraine. The Croatian Parliament Speaker reaffirmed Croatia's unwavering support for Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity, and solidarity with the Ukrainian people. He stressed the necessity for the Russian army to cease all military activities and withdraw from Ukraine to stop further suffering of the Ukrainian people. Chairman Li noted that China supports the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and informed the Croatian Parliament Speaker about the activities and initiatives of China aimed at stopping the military conflict and preventing a humanitarian crisis.
Today's video meeting was the second meeting between the Croatian Parliament Speaker and his Chinese counterpart. They met for the first time during the official visit of Speaker Jandroković to the People's Republic of China in 2019.
In conclusion, the two officials expressed their readiness to further strengthen the dialogue. Jandroković invited Li to the inauguration of Pelješac Bridge, whereas Li invited his Croatian counterpart to visit China again.