Croatian president to begin two-week foreign tour on Monday

President Milanovic (Photo credit: Ured PRH)

ZAGREB, June 20 (Hina) – President Zoran Milanovic begins a two-week foreign tour on Monday, with Montenegro as his first stop, his office said.

Milanovic will travel from Cavtat, southern Croatia to Tivat, Montenegro aboard the Croatian Navy vessel Omis. From there he will go to Cetinje to meet with his Montenegrin counterpart Milo Djukanovic for talks on bilateral relations, the situation in the region and the coronavirus pandemic.

Milanovic will emphasise Croatia’s support to Montenegro in the process of its integration with the European Union. The two countries are also partners within NATO.

In the capital Podgorica, Milanovic is scheduled to meet with executives of about 15 Croatian companies operating in Montenegro.

On Tuesday, the Croatian president is due to meet with Prime Minister Dusko Markovic and Parliament Speaker Ivan Brajovic. He will then return to the Bay of Boka Kotorska to meet with representatives of the Croatian community in the country.

Russia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Austria

After the official visit to Montenegro, Milanovic travels to Moscow for a traditional military parade marking Victory Day. The ceremony should have been held on May 9 but was postponed over the coronavirus pandemic. The parade is set for June 24, the 70th anniversary of the first one.

A bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin is also scheduled. Croatia wants to have a good relationship with Russia and this is a symbolic gesture in that regard, the Croatian President’s Office said.

After Moscow, the Croatian president will attend a meeting of the Brdo-Brijuni Process in Slovenia on June 29, and at the start of July he travels to Bulgaria for an official visit. On July 7-8, he will be in Vienna for a trilateral meeting with the presidents of Austria and Slovenia, the main topic being the EU post-COVID-19.

Early in September Milanovic will pay an official visit to Germany and in October he travels to Estonia for a meeting of the Three Seas Initiative.

Many of these visits and meetings were arranged before the coronavirus outbreak. Although all the new dates have been confirmed, whether the meetings will take place will depend on the development of the COVID-19 situation, the President’s Office said.