Republik der Philippinen Botschaft und Ständige Vertretung bei den Internationalen Organisationen in Wien		Repúbliká ng Pilipinas Pásuguán at Pamalagiang Kinatawán sa mga Pangdáigdigang Kalipunán sa Vienna
PRESS RELEASE 04-09		13 May 2009

Secretary Romulo Visits Croatia on 11 May 2009

Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alberto G. Romulo concluded a visit to Zagreb, Croatia on 11 May 2009 with a commitment to strengthen the Philippines‘ political and economic ties with the South-eastern European state.

The visit marks the first ever visit by a foreign minister from the Philippines since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1993. While the two countries already maintain strong relations in various multilateral fora including mutual support for candidatures and initiatives such as the inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue, Secretary Romulo’s visit signifies the Philippines’ interest to strengthen bilateral relations with Croatia, particularly in view of the latter’s imminent accession into the European Union. Croatia also became the 28th full member of the NATO on 01 April 2009.

“The visit is a testament to the Philippines’ desire to build stronger bridges with the rapidly developing country of Croatia and its people. Along these lines, our meetings identified key areas of cooperation that we believe would most aptly set the stage for the future expansion of our bilateral cooperation,” Secretary Romulo said.

Secretary Romulo held bilateral talks with President Stepjan Mesic, Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic and Vice President of the Parliament Zeljka Antunovic. The Philippine delegation included H.E. Linglingay F. Lacanlale, Philippine Ambassador to Croatia (Non-resident), Third Secretary Ms. Sharon R. Rivera from the Philippine Embassy in Vienna, Mr. Jarie Osias, Principal Assistant from the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, and Mr. Davor Stern, Philippine Honorary Consul General in Croatia.

During the bilateral meetings, both sides acknowledged that trade and investment have been modest but expressed strong interest to expand economic ties.

Croatia could be explored as a potential gateway for Philippine products going into Central and Eastern Europe through its several ports, particularly the ports of Rijeka, Ploce and Zadar in the Adriatic. Secretary Romulo also invited the Croatian side to explore the possibility of shipping its goods bound for the Far Eastern region through Philippine ports. The two sides also discussed potential cooperation in port development and management.

Secretary Romulo also signed a Memorandum of Agreement on Cultural Cooperation together with the Minister of Culture of Croatia, Mr. Bozo Biskupic. With the signing of the agreement, both sides hope to facilitate greater people-to-people exchanges and promote better understanding of each other’s culture.

Secretary Romulo and Minister Jandrokovic also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Sports by Ambassador Linglingay Lacanlale, Philippine Ambassador to Croatia, and State Secretary for Science, Technology and Sports, Mr. Dragan Primorac.

The MOU aims to strengthen bilateral relations by building up institutional networking and people-to-people contacts, and to pave the way for the creation of an exchange program for athletes/coaches.

The two Ministers committed to implement the Protocol of Cooperation between the Foreign Ministries of the Philippines and Croatia through which other areas of cooperation could be identified. Secretary Romulo proposed the creation of a joint economic commission composed of government and the private sector to serve as the forum to discuss specific activities for expanding economic cooperation.

Secretary Romulo reiterated President Arroyo’s invitation for President Mesic to visit the Philippines when he goes to Southeast Asia during the second half of the year. President Arroyo invited President Mesic to visit the country in 2007 but it had to be cancelled due to scheduling problems.