June 23, 2021 - How many Croatia fans in Copenhagen can we expect for the round of 16 match at Parken Stadium? We aren't sure, but we have a feeling it will be a lot. 

After three matches in Group D, Croatia will finally have more fans in the stands at EURO 2020, and information about tickets will be known soon, reports Gol.hr.

Croatia will play in the round of 16 on Monday at 6 pm at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, and they will find out their opponent today after 6 pm when the decisive matches in Group E begin.

Due to strict restrictions, Croatia played in front of less than a hundred fans in London and Glasgow, most of whom lived in the UK, and only a few decided to undergo ten-day and five-day quarantines and several COVID-19 tests.

Copenhagen, however, will be much different. Pictures of an almost full stadium and celebrations of Denmark fans who celebrated their national team advancing to the round of 16. Along with Budapest, Parken Stadium hosts the most fans at EURO 2020 so far. 

Coach Dalic wanted only one thing in the round of 16 after the game.

"I only want Croatia fans in the stands, that's what I want, I'm waiting and dreaming, then we're much stronger."

He mentioned several times that his team was not in the same position as the others because of the lack of fans and the truth is, Croatia and the Czech Republic were the most affected playing in the UK. 

So, who can travel to Denmark?

Many fans have been wondering since last night. In this case, Croatia is on the yellow list, and the restrictions are much milder, meaning many will be able to attend the match.

"For trips to Denmark from the yellow states, it is not necessary to present a COVID-19 test when boarding the aircraft. Passengers entering Denmark from the yellow EU / Schengen countries, including Croatia, must present one of the following upon entry:

- Confirmation of full vaccination with the COVID-19 vaccine approved by the EMA, and at least 14 and at most 180 days must have passed since the last dose was received.

- Certificate of COVID 19 illness, 14 days to 8 months before the trip.

- perform testing upon entering Denmark."

How to get tickets will likely be announced by HNS on Thursday after we find out Croatia's opponent tonight.

If Croatia makes it to the quarterfinal, they will travel to St. Petersburg.

To follow the latest sports news in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

To learn more about sport in Croatia, CLICK HERE. 

June 23, 2021 - One of the biggest pop stars of the new generation will premiere in this part of Europe at the St. Michael's Fortress on June 18, 2022. Lorde returns to her roots with a spectacle in Šibenik next year. 

At an extremely exclusive concert with only 1,050 tickets on sale, the New Zealander with Croatian roots will recall some of her mega-hits from the first two albums and present "Solar Power," which will be released later this summer.

A multiple Grammy winner and one of the youngest performers to win international rankings, Lorde's full name is Ella Maria Lani Yelich-O’Connor. Born in New Zealand, her mother has Dalmatian roots, and Lorde herself has dual citizenship.

Ever since she appeared on the scene as a 16-year-old in 2013, with the then biggest hit of the year “Royals,” Lorde has pushed the boundaries of pop and managed to stay on top, constantly playing by her own rules. Ella does not use social networks at all, she rarely appears promotionally, and she takes long breaks between albums, which usually last three to four years.

Lorde currently has 12 million albums sold worldwide, as well as 10 billion streams. Unobtrusively she became the voice of an entire generation with her debut "Pure Heroine," which sold three times platinum and won two Grammys. The single "Royals" achieved a record audience. In addition, Lorde became the youngest artist and the only one from New Zealand to take first place on Billboard's list of the 100 best since 1987.

Time magazine named her one of the most influential teenagers in the world. She was on the Forbes list of the 30 most influential under-30s, on the cover of Rolling Stone, and she performed with Nirvana at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony in 2014. The second album, “Melodrama,” debuted at number one on the Billboard charts of 200 albums, topped the album charts in 45 countries, and won a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.

The new album and the accompanying tour are new proof of its uniqueness. The long-awaited return was announced with the single "Solar Power" from the album of the same name, which will be released on August 20. The song received praise from critics and audiences, topped the Spotify global and US charts days since its release, already has 30 million streams, and has been marked as trending worldwide.

NME and Pitchfork give the new single a high five. Billboard praises Lorde and “Solar Power” as a fresh chapter in her work, while the Guardian says Lorde’s comeback song sets her apart from others in terms of her creativity. “The album celebrates nature, and with it, I try to capture the feelings I have when I’m out. In times of sadness, confusion, infatuation, I turn to nature in search of answers. The song 'Solar Power' is a tribute to the infectious and flirtatious summer that overwhelms us all," says Lorde.

The news of the big world tour that will cover more than 40 countries and announce the release of the new album was transmitted by international media, and the long-awaited appearance is special because of the carefully chosen locations. On tour, Lorde plays in locations she personally chooses and wants to visit, mostly the best concert stages in the world. Thus, the special Šibenik fortress found itself on the list in the company of legendary concert destinations such as Radio City Music Hall in New York, Shrine Auditorium in LA, Roundhouse in London, or Castello di Villafranca in Verona.

Tickets for the spectacle at the Šibenik Fortress go on sale this Friday, June 25, at 10:00 for 330 kuna. Unfortunately, only 1050 of them are available, and a maximum of 4 tickets can be purchased on request.

Tickets are available through the Eventim system, their physical points of sale, and online at eventim.hr.

 For more on events in Croatia, follow our dedicated lifestyle section.

June 23, 2021 - It is Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, and among the speakers are the owners of the two biggest DN LinkedIn groups. Meet one of them, Dean Kuchel of Digital Nomad Israel and Digital Nomad World.

We are delighted to welcome Dean Kuchel from Israel to Zagreb Digital Nomad Week. Dean will be delivering a keynote speech on community building, an essential step Croatia will take in its efforts to develop its digital nomad presence. You can register to attend online or in person here.

1. More than 100 countries visited, a digital nomad for years. It sounds like a perfect life! Tell us how it all started. What was the trigger to set you on your path?

Yes, I have visited over 100 countries in 7 years. It is the perfect life and I am living my dream. I don't think the way I do it is right for everyone, but there are definitely many bonus points, and I have been living a great life on the road for the last 7-8 years. 

It all started almost by mistake for me. The most lucrative job you can have is a relocation, to somewhere like the States. Do a few years there, then return to your home country - in my case, Tel Aviv in Israel. I got a job in San Francisco, but after I waited for 2-3 months for the visa, my company asked me to work remotely, which I did. 

This is how I met the nomadic lifestyle. I travelled to Taiwan and Japan, then visited a few countries in Europe, all while working remotely. While I was on this journey back in 2014, I started to meet other people enjoying a remote lifestyle. This is where I first met with digital nomads. I discovered a whole new world where I could combine one of my biggest passions - travel - and work. 

It is important to step back and note that my mother is a tour guide and has been travelling from an early age. She has been leading groups abroad and around the world. So travel was in my DNA from a very young age, and I always loved to travel. I generally say that I travel for people not places. The world is beautiful but it is the people that make travel special. 

When I finally got my work visa, I told my company that it was too late and that I was hooked on this lifestyle and could not return to the office. They answered very simply - you earned it. Remote work can be just as effective, sometimes more so, than being in the office. I showed that I was an effective communicator and team player working anywhere in the world. 

2. Focusing on Europe, where do you think the best places are for digital nomads and why?

There are many, many good countries and hot spots. The highlights would be the Canary Islands and Bansko in Bulgaria. Mostly for the community. Having a like-minded community to connect to which understands you,  with people who have made the same life choices as you. It is very supportive and helps each other to grow. Community is key to make a destination lucrative as a digital nomad destination, as happened in the Canary Islands and Bansko over time. 

We are seeing beautiful efforts from countries such as Portugal, and of course Croatia, spearheading this change in Europe, allowing nomads to spend time in the country,  putting in infrastructure. Events such as Zagreb Digital Nomad Week are great. We are seeing more co-working spaces and more accommodation available on short-term leases. 

This broadens the range of countries to visit, and when we mix the basic needs for digital nomads, such as a good WiFi connection, good places to work from, and an affordable cost of living, then we are definitely looking at countries such as Hungary, Poland, Czechia, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Croatia. These are beautiful countries with great culture and good infrastructure. They will be very attractive for nomads in the coming years, and they will benefit greatly from this shift in forces when it comes to where people choose to work from. We will see people leave the States, UK, Germany and other 'first-world' economies, and relocating to more affordable places. Those countries welcoming digital nomads will gain a lot form digital nomads, both economically and immersion in the local community. 

3. The concept of digital nomad tourism is quite new here, and we are learning about the importance of community. Tell us more about this. 

Community is to compensate for what we leave behind, for the sacrifice we make, the family, friends and coleagues. It is a network of people who understand our needs, our choices, our lifestyle. The community doesn't question us, about why we do things or how we do them. It gives you a sense of belonging be part of something bigger than just yourself, the movement.  

4. I have noticed around Croatia that there are a growing number of nomads, but this building of community is not as strong as it could be. Tell us about the importance of community. 

Community is of course a key part of life for all of us, not just digital nomads. But it is especially important for digital nomads, many of whom travel solo, but do not want to travel alone. This is where community comes to compensate for lack of family and friends. This is why we see organic communities developing in places like the Canary Islands, Bansko in Bulgaria, Medellin in Colombia, Bali, and Chiang Mail in Thailand. 

It is this natural need to connect to other people, people often with the same interests and life choices. The community also understands the lifestyle. Sometimes other people look at us and say we are crazy with this life. But a lot of us believe that this lifestyle can work and be sustainable, and when you have a community of people who have made the same life choices and sacrifices, it can be a lot of fun and great way to see the world. We all have our down time, of course, our hearts broken and our bad days, and we need that community to support us. Especially when we cross borders into cultures which are very different from our own. The community makes the transition into new places much easier. There is also the bonus of meeting people who you have already befriended in online communities. 

Moving from community to community can be to see the world, but also to be around like-minded people, driven people. For me personally, there is no way I could sustain 7-8 years of travel with no sense of community. I myself run an online community of some 23,000 people, the fourth largest of its kind in the world - Digital Nomads Israel. And I am working on a new global community called Digital Nomad World, with the idea of connecting us digital nomads with each other to exchange ideas, support, and to share all the love and good ideas that we experience. 

5. If we are looking for a community-building case study, which country and why?

If we talk about community-driven, Bansko in Bulgaria or the Canary Islands are great examples. In both cases, there are individuals like Matthias in Bansko, or Nacho in the Canary Islands. People who put a lot of effort and risk their own money to create co-living and co-working spaces. They put on conferences for digital nomads, and build up community. They are true leaders, and this helps to create these places as hot spots for nomads. 

When we look at the authorities, I don't see enough initiatives. If we look at Estonia and the e-residency, I don't think this is really geared towards nomads. If we want to focus on nomads, take a look at what Barbados is doing, although the entry price is quite high, as they are targeting higher-earning nomads. 

Countries such as Czechia and Georgia and other countries are also opening up, welcoming people who are earning money abroad. I am happy to say that Zagreb right now at the top in terms of action taken, but we also have places like Bali and Thailand.

Bermuda, Barbados, Dubai are all forming visa policies allowing digital nomads to come. Some countries target different audiences, with Barbados targeting high earners, while Georgia is more accepting of all. Georgia will be interesting to follow, and I think it will benefit a lot. It is becoming popular and the community is starting. It is relatively close to Croatia and the two countries could form a nice travel bubble. 

And Croatia. It was one of the first to attract nomads with the visa. It will be interesting to follow progress to see people take residency, start forming companies. 

6. How does Croatia rate as a nomad destination in your view, and what should it be doing to raise its profile to digital nomads?

I think Croatia is currently somewhere in the middle at the moment. It has all the great things that nomads are looking for  - lifestyle, nature, city life, beautiful see, affordable, history and easy to move around. It has the basic ingredients. 

What needs to be added is that community, which will take time. But we are seeing leaders like Tanja from Saltwater Nomads taking this forward. The authorities should continue to stay involved, but Croatia has positioned itself very well. It has great potential. Keep being an innovator and grow that community. 

I believe that Zagreb and Croatia are on the right path to become a digital nomad hot spot in the near future.   We are seeing a very rare and unique effort by the local authorities and local community and the digital nomad community. The digital nomad permits, which Croatia came up with as a result of the local community working closely with the local authorities. 

What Tanja is doing at Saltwater Nomads is doing is an amazing achievement, really unique right now in the world. It makes it very attractive for nomads to come to Croatia and spend time. Kudos to everyone involved in this project. Right now a lot of nomads are stuck in one place due to COVID-19, but I believe that once the world opens up, we will see more and more people coming to visit your beautiful country. 

It is just a matter of time to see initiatives such as Zagreb Digital Nomad Week to bear fruit. This is exactly the right thing to do at the moment, this is what attracts people. Of course, as well as keeping the infrastructure up to date. I am talking about good Internet, encouaging short-term lets, and solving other challenges that nomads face, such as access to banking, access to healthcare, access to local services such as gyms, market opportunities for investments for nomads.

A great place to learn from is Estonia. Take a look at what they did with their e-residency programme, for example. And events. More and more events. Events bring people together. Affordable living and co-working spaces bring people together and helps to strengthen the community. 

And of course, leadership. Every community needs a leader. To have it happen organically is not always easy. I think Tanja is setting an amazing example as a leader in Zagreb and Dubrovnik. With time, you will have more leaders, local people but also people from all over the world. 

Social media is also very important, and digital nomad communities rely more on new forms of media. We see more social networks, more social media, platforms such as Instagram and Tik Tok. Croatia needs to be there to put itself on the map, providing simple information on where to go, where to stay and what to do, tailored for digital nomads. 

But really overall I think Croatia is putting in the right effort, it has the right leaders, including the support of the government which is incredible to see. All this together will make Croatia a hot spot in the next couple of years. 

7. Tell us about your involvement in Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, and why did you decide to come?

It was an easy decision to come. I have been following Croatia and Tanja for some time. I am happy to take part in every event that helps to grow the community. I am very happy to play a small part in helping all this grow, and I look forward to meeting old friends, making new friends, and taking part in this great event. I will be speaking about community building.

Meet Friday's keynote speaker, Albert Cañigueral, one of the Dubrovnik nomads-in-residence, and recently appointed to lead the Catalan Government's Transparency and Open Data division. Albert will be focusing on the topic of the day, the future of work.  

Meet tomorrow's host - BIZkoshnica, Zagreb Coworking Since 2015: Mirela Marovic Omerzu Interview.

Tourist Board Director Martina Bienenfeld on Zagreb Digital Nomad Week, Ryanair, Tourism in Pandemic

Want to be a Zagreb Digital Nomad Ambassador and live in the city for a month between July and December? 

For the latest news and features od digital nomads in Croatia, check out the dedicated TCN section. 

June the 23rd, 2021 - To mark its sixtieth birthday, the well known Marina Punat is set to invest a very large sum into the company and cover a wide variety of fields with it.

As Novac/Jozo Vrdoljak writes, the Marina Punat Group is largely, at least in terms of investment, preparing to provide the infrastructure necessary for the reception of more environmentally friendly ships that leave a smaller footprint in nature, as well as to raise the quality of service and offer guests of the marina and its hotels.

''We've invested in the construction of an e-charging station for vehicles, the installation of parking metres in the north of the marina, the arrangement of eco-points with burial tanks for waste of much larger capacities than the conventional ones, the strengthening of electricity supply systems, fire protection by installing innovative fixed and mobile water curtain systems, and in some other projects, in the total amount of about eight million this year alone,'' explains Renata Marevic, the director of Marina Punat, who notes that the Punat Shipyard will soon celebrate one hundred years of existence, and Marina Punat - sixty years of work.

The director of Marina Punat says that the marina is working intensively on developing plans and collecting documentation for the realisation of investments. Namely, they also applied for an extension of the concession period. For this reason, but also for development reasons and ensuring business sustainability, investments are indispensable.

''We want the Marina Punat Group to be active in this area for a long time, it's natural that a company whose majority owners are local people from Punat and which is vital for the local, regional community and the state is thinking about its future,'' says Marevic.

According to Renata Marevic, investments are also being made in arranging the capacity to accommodate ships on land.

''Our goal is to provide access to all ships on land through dry docks in a few years, which has already been largely achieved. In the sea/water area of ​​the marina, we're working on additional protection of ships by strengthening all breakwaters with linings, and we're continuously working on renovating the floors on the piers and maintaining the reception infrastructure. We're ready to build a new restaurant on the site of the existing one, which we'd demolish, for which we've already received the needed construction documentation,'' says the director of Marina Punat.

At the same time, the Punat Shipyard is active in the preparation of planning documentation because it will invest in the procurement of a new 500-tonne travel lift and new pools for said travel lifts.

''The Management Board of the Marina Punat Group is working on harmonising and initiating the procedure of amending the spatial plans, because there is a lack of space for servicing ships. A large travel elevator will enable the better organisation of boat servicing and work that doesn't actively harm the environment. It is customary to service boats in the spring to be ready for the summer season, and other times before accommodation over the winter period.

One such travel lift would allow for the better and easier relocation and layout of ships and we would get room to maneuver and lift other ships. It is a large project that will be very significant for the Shipyard. It should be understood that this is a significant amount of the investment,'' explains Renata Marevic, noting that the construction documentation for the travel elevator is expected to be resolved very soon.

In Marina Punat, they're also investing in the arrangement and construction of a charter centre.

''We're arranging the space by placing prefabricated fences and large vases with greenery in order to harmonise it with the visual of the new sanitary facility which was built two years ago. We're working a lot on the landscaping of the marina and arranging the horticulture. Investments are being made in increasing parking capacity and arranging parking areas. This proved necessary especially last year because many guests, instead of by plane, arrived in their own cars. We also plan to build new business premises between the existing nautical equipment stores and markets. So far, we've replaced most of the old racks for ships on land with new, galvanised ones, not only because of their appearance but also because of the safety of the vessel,'' Marevic stated, listing all the investments and modifications on the cards for Marina Punat.

The Marina Punat Group otherwise employs almost 150 employees directly and enables the operation of another thirty subcontractor companies with more than a hundred employees.

For more, follow our business section.

June the 23rd, 2021 - The Banovina motorway, often referred to as the Banovina ''rescue'' motorway has seen progress delayed once again following appeals launched.

As Novac/Vedran Marjanovic writes, Croatian Motorways has just announced the receipt of an appeal against the public procurement tender for the selection of a contractor for the construction of a 300 million kuna section of the Zagreb-Sisak motorway, known as the Banovina motorway.

''The appeal filed against the change of procurement documentation prevents the continuation of public procurement,'' HAC said on the occasion of a new appeal being launched against the tender for the completion of the Zagreb-Sisak highway, more specifically for the section of the A11 highway from Lekenik to Sisak.

It should be noted that after HAC invited interested companies to submit their bids for the construction of the Lekenik-Sisak section on March the 8th this year, the Bulgarian company Trace Group Hold complained to the State Commission for the Control of Public Procurement Procedures (DKOM) on May the 27th.

However, DKOM rejected the appeal of the aforementioned Bulgarian company because, according to the explanation of the Commission, no proof of payment of the appeal fee was provided. This, however, only temporarily blocked the public tender for A11 because a new appeal was lodged.

According to HAC's original plan for the completion of the so-called Banovina motorway, the opening of the bids received for the tender was scheduled for May the 27th, which was postponed until further notice by Trace Group Hold's appeal. Therefore, the announcement of the Croatian Government that the construction of the Lekenik-Sisak section could start in autumn this year must be dropped.

According to the tender documentation, the company that will be entrusted with the construction of the Banovina motorway or ''rescue'' motorway is expected to complete the work within two years from the start of construction.

The state began building the 47.5-kilometre Zagreb-Sisak highway back in 2006 and cut it off in May 2009, completing the section from Mraclin to Busevac. Construction continued a few years later, and in 2015 the 11.2-kilometre-long Buševec-Lekenik section was completed, with almost all activities being halted for many years. The construction of the A11 was intensified after the earthquake that hit Sisak and Banovina back in December last year and was declared the ''rescue highway'' for the area.

For more, follow our business section.

June the 23rd, 2021 - A Croatian man stripped some Nepalese workers of their personal documents and forced them to work unpaid after assuring them that they'd be able to live normally and freely after he'd obtained their permits for work. The Vis man will now face punishment for this vile act.

As Morski writes, police officers working for the Organised Crime Service of the Split-Dalmatia Police Department have completed a criminal investigation into a 58-year-old Croatian citizen due to a well-founded suspicion of him having committed the criminal offense of trafficking in human beings under Article 106 paragraph 3 of the Criminal Code.

Namely, the criminal investigation established the existence of a well-founded suspicion that the 58-year-old Vis man had committed the criminal offense of trafficking in human beings to the detriment of four Nepalese citizens, meaning that from December 2020 to June the 20th, 2021, he used their illegal stay and unregulated work status, as well as their poor financial situation, in order to recruit them for unpaid employment.

He didn't pay them money for their work and he kept them living in inappropriate conditions.

He then took them to the island of Vis and exploited them for forced labour, without the payment of monetary compensation, kept them in inappropriate working conditions, in which their health, safety and dignity weren't protected. He also severely restricted their freedom of movement by confiscating their personal documents, misleading them that they would be able to move freely after he obtained a work permit for them with said documents and regulated their stay in Croatia, even though he knew that wasn't on the cards.

After the criminal investigation was completed due to the existence of a well-founded suspicion of committing the above-mentioned criminal offense, the 58-year-old Vis man was handed over to the police.

For more, follow our lifestyle page.

ZAGREB, 22 June, 2021 - Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said at the Antifascist Struggle Day commemoration on Tuesday that this year the government was organising the observation of that public holiday and that it would be the same in the future, noting that the turbulent time of war should be viewed in all its complexity.

"I am pleased to greet you on behalf of the government on the occasion of Antifascist Struggle Day here in Brezovica forest," said Prime Minister Plenković in his speech at the central Antifascist Stuggle Day commemoration at Brezovica Memorial Park near Sisak, adding that the holiday was established in 1991 at the initiative of then president Franjo Tuđman.

The prime minister recalled that at the beginning of summer 1914 Hitler's Germany had taken control of most of Europe and had begun its senseless and criminal policy in which about six million European Jews had been killed and that after the occupation of Yugoslavia, "the Quisling NDH regime" had been established in Croatia.

Croatia had largest resistance movement in Europe relative to its population

"In reality Croatia was divided into German and Italian occupation zones, while most of Dalmatia, Gorski Kotar and Primorje were annexed to Italy after NDH authorities ceded them to fascist Italy, and racial laws were passed against Jews, Roma and Serbs," Plenković said.

He pointed out that 80 years ago about 70 fighters, mostly Croatian, had established the first Sisak Partisan resistance movement in Brezovica forest.

"Among them was a young Janko Bobetko, who would become a Croatian Army General and Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces in the 1990s," the prime minister said.

He added that the Partisan movement in Croatia had 7,000 members, including many Croatian Serbs.

Plenković underscored that Croatia had had the largest resistance movement in Europe relative to its population.

"Last year we marked the 25th anniversary of the great victory in Operation Storm and the Homeland War, and then I said that we also mourned the victims of crimes committed by Croatia, which unfortunately happened, because a legitimate right to defence is not an excuse for crimes," the prime minister said.

Totalitarian regime in Yugoslavia betrayed antifascists

He added that regardless of the merits of Croatian Partisans, that turbulent time should be viewed in all its complexity.

Plenković said he was thinking primarily of the post-war crimes of the JNA (Yugoslav People's Army) near Bleiburg, Austria and the mass executions of disarmed soldiers and civilians along marches back to Yugoslavia, which he said was traumatic for many families, and which deepened the disastrous divisions in post-war Croatia.

He also underscored that the totalitarian regime in Yugoslavia had betrayed antifascists.

Here I'm thinking of post-war purges of political dissidents, such as the persecution of the Blessed Cardinal (Alojzije) Stepinac, who in his sermons publicly opposed the persecution of Serbs and Jews, and saved many of them from death, Plenković said.

Close divisions still present in society

Plenković said that the time had come for us Croatia a society to take a more sober view of the events of that time and to better evaluate the contribution of the Croatian antifascist resistance to Nazism.

"Only in that way will we close the divisions still present in our society and build the unity necessary to face the challenges ahead of us. Today we finally have a free democratic Croatia, a member of the EU and NATO, whose foundations are in the democratically expressed will of citizens and the victory of the defenders in the Homeland War, which also implies the value of antifascism," Plenković stressed.

He said that after the pandemic and last year's earthquakes, and in the context of increasingly rapid climate change, which would be by far the greatest challenge for the world in the future, Croatia needed unity and to look to the future more than ever.

"Therefore, it is up to all of us to rise to the task that awaits us," Plenković said.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

ZAGREB, 22 June, 2021 - North Macedonia and Albania have met all the criteria to open EU accession negotiations as soon as possible and Kosovo deserves visa liberalisation, Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman said on Tuesday in Luxembourg.

"Albania and North Macedonia have met all the criteria and we believe that accession negotiations should be opened with them as soon as possible," said Grlić Radman upo arriving in Luxembourg for a General Affairs Council meeting.

The General Affairs Council is composed of foreign or European affairs ministers of the member states. They convened today to discuss preparations for an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday and Friday on migration, enlargement and the stabilisation and association process.  Furthermore, the Portuguese presidency will inform the EU ministers about the work of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

One of the more important topics to be debated within Article 7 is the rule of law in Hungary and Poland.

Accession intergovernmental conferences with Serbia and Montenegro will be held on the margins of today's meeting, but without opening or closing any policy chapters. So-called political intergovernmental conferences are a new approach in the accession process.

Agreement still has not been reached to open negotiations with North Macedonia due to objections by Bulgaria and no progress is expected before elections in Bulgaria scheduled for next month.

There are no blockades regarding Albania, however some countries do not wish to separate the issue of opening negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia.

Grlić Radman that Croatia supports the motion for liberalising the visa regime for Kosovo as soon as possible.

Croatia would like talks on candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina to be launched as soon as possible too, said Grlić Radman and once again underscored the need for the election law in that country to be changed so that it ensures the equality of all three constitutent peoples.

For more about politics in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.