Plenkovic on effects of COVID on tourism, China+17, EU summits

After meeting in Dubrovnik with US State Secretary Mike Pompeo on Friday, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic met with Dubrovnik-Neretva County Prefect Nikola Dobroslavic and the mayors of cities and municipalities in that county for the talks on the impact of the COVID pandemic on the tourist trade.

Due to the coronavirus and a significantly weaker tourism season in this most distant county, certain demands have been put to the government so that in addition to everything that has been done so far, we can see how we can help. Primarily with regard to local government's liquidity and we will have to come up with a special measure for this county. We agreed to meet next week with a series of departments to see how to overcome these problems," said Plenkovic.

Plenkovic also commented on the China+17" format as something phenomenal for China which is developing communication with half the EU member states which would otherwise be impossible within the bilateral framework.

"Prior to that format, it took us 25 years for five meetings with China's leaders. That is why it is also beneficial for us for better economic cooperation. The fact that they came up with that does not mean that others need not come up with a format with a broader framework. Everything is more difficult without meetings on a regular basis, including economic trade which amounts to 650 million with the US and about 1 billion with China," said Plenkovic.

He added that Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman and State Secretary Mike Pompeo discussed the "Three Seas" initiative over lunch.

Plenkovic described his decision to delegate Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Jansa to present him at the European Council as a "signal of confidence."

"That is good. In a previous opportunity I had decided on Charles Michel but that meeting never occurred. We are conducting dialogue with Slovenia and it is good that Croatia and Slovenia resolve outstanding issues and that we upgrade our mutual understanding," Plenkovic explained. He added that the new Krsko nuclear power plant has still not come up on the agenda.

Penkovic commented on a report by the GONG election monitoring NGO to the Conflict of Interest Commission against his ministers and against President Zoran Milanovic related to their visit to Dragan Kovacevic's club, saying that he has become accustomed to those sorts of reports by "professional complaint makers."

He added they have that right to file complaints while a decision is up to the commission.

(Hina)

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