The Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, has said that the Schengen accession, as well as the euro adoption, has strengthened the country’s role in the bloc.
Prime Minister Plenković brought together Croatian officials at the beginning of this week, and during his speech, he said that the Schengen accession had changed the position of the country, making it an example to follow.
“Entering the Schengen area and the Eurozone on the same day is a unique achievement that no country before us has achieved. I thank you all for your contribution to the achievement of these strategic goals, which changed Croatia’s position within the EU and, at the same time, showed that Croatia can be a model for those countries that want to follow that path,” Plenković stated.
Moreover, Prime Minister Plenković further said that Croatia has achieved key goals so far this year, helping the country’s integration into the European Union.
Looking ahead, Prime Minister Plenković noted that another objective of the country is to secure membership in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
“We came from outsiders to the position that we are the country that is in the most likely position to be the first to achieve that goal,” Plenković pointed out.
In a display of the country’s commitment to regional stability as well as cooperation, Prime Minister Plenković addressed the importance of healthy relations with neighbouring countries, saying that Croatia has made a strong contribution to the strengthening of the position of Croatians in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He further stressed that next week, the government would present an annexe to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan worth €4.5 billion.
As explained, this financial infusion aims to support earthquake reconstruction efforts, as well as foster advancements in education, energy, and economy, among others.
Croatia officially joined the Schengen Area and Eurozone on January 1, 2023. Following this, the country started to register a high number of tourist arrivals.
Previously, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that Croatia registered 14.1 million arrivals so far this year. Revealing the number of arrivals, Prime Minister Plenković pointed out that the pre-season registered an upward trend.
He further revealed that tourists spent a total of 74.5 million overnight stays in the country since the beginning of the year, which is three per cent more than in the same period last year.
In addition, it was pointed out that domestic tourism also grew, posting a 15 per cent increase.
