ZAGREB, March 27, 2019 - Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić has been short-listed for the position of secretary-general of the Council of Europe, the CoE said on Wednesday.

The other shortlisted candidate in the final round of the selection process is Belgium's deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs and minister of defence, Didier Reynders.

Apart from them, the other two candidates in the first round were former Lithuanian premier and lawmaker, Andrius Kubilius as well as a former Greek foreign minister and parliamentary deputy, Dora Bakoyannis.

The Committee of Ministers interviewed the four candidates separately in March, before deciding upon a final list of candidates that will be transmitted to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The Parliamentary Assembly will then proceed with the election of the next Secretary General, which is due to take place in June 2019. The mandate of the new Secretary General starts on 1 October 2019.

The current Secretary-General is Thorbjorn Jagland, a former Norwegian Prime Minister and parliament speaker.

Croatia chaired the CoE from May to November 2018.

More news about Marija Pejčinović Burić can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 25, 2019) - Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić and her Japanese host Taro Kono, confirmed in Tokyo on Monday good and friendly relations between Croatia and Japan and discussed topical global and regional issues as well as cooperation within multilateral organisations, the Croatian foreign ministry said in a press release.

During the second part of his official visit to Japan, Pejčinović Burić held a number of bilateral meetings with representatives of Japanese institutions.

In the first part of her visit, Pejčinović Burić took part in a conference of the World Assembly for Women, held in Tokyo on March 22-24. Pejčinović Burić invited minister Kono to a return visit to Croatia.

The minister also met with representatives of the Japanese-Croatian parliamentary groups of friendship, led by Secretary General Nobu Kishi as well as with the leadership of the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) is a Japanese government-related organisation that promotes mutually beneficial trade and investment.

The meeting also focused on the support to the two countries' business people so as to advance bilateral trade and attract investments.

They also discussed the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and Japan, the biggest trade agreement ever negotiated by the EU that will create an open trade zone covering over 600 million people. The agreement entered into force on Friday, 1 February 2019.

Pejčinović Burić and the Japanse officials also talked about an agreement between Japan and Croatia aimed at eliminating of double taxation.

The Croatian minister also talked with the Yazaki management board president and the leadership of the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA), the press release said.

More news about relations between Croatia and Japan can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 24, 2019 - Croatia's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Marija Pejčinović Burić, took part in a conference of the World Assembly for Women, held in Tokyo on March 22-24, as part of her working visit to Japan, her ministry said.

The main theme of this year's conference of the World Assembly for Women was diversity.

The purpose of the initiative is to connect women that head states, governments or ministries or hold leading positions in the corporate sector in the context of the empowerment of women in society.

The main guest at the event was Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2014, and the conference was also addressed by Michelle Bachelet Jeria, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Pejčinović Burić attended two panel discussions, the closing one and a panel discussion on the importance of the promotion of diversity in the media.

The Croatian minister also met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, to whom she conveyed an invitation by Croatian PM Andrej Plenković to visit Croatia.

More news about the Foreign Ministry can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, March 7, 2019 - Croatia and Germany signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement in Berlin on Thursday, which they described as a milestone in relations between the two countries.

Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas signed a joint statement on increasing government cooperation and an action plan aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation and relations at EU level.

"I think we can describe the signing of these documents as a milestone in our bilateral relations which are developing well in any case and which, based on this action plan, will be further intensified," said Maas.

According to Germany's FM, the action plan that defines the expansion of cooperation between the two governments, covers a "comprehensive range of topics," like digitisation, a dual education system, science and research, climate protection, and security.

Pejčinović Burić said that Germany was one of Croatia's most important trading partners and that the agreement on expanding cooperation, which was reached in August by Chancellor Angela Merkel and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, would additionally strengthen mutual relations.

She added that the action plan provided for strengthening cooperation in a dozen areas, from common interest to foreign and European policy to the economy, education, culture, sport and parliamentary cooperation.

"I believe that in two years’ time we will analyse how the plan is developing and will extend it to other areas of cooperation," Pejčinović Burić said before meeting with Maas.

"Signing this agreement is an important step that we will make as part of the existing partnership in the EU and NATO and our common interest for Southeast Europe, which is essential for stability and security in that region and for Europe as a whole. We believe that the signing of this agreement will specifically raise the level of contacts relating to the agreed topics and concrete projects that will develop from those contacts," Pejčinović Burić said.

The talks focused on the future of the European Union, particularly with regard to EU enlargement and Brexit.

Maas recalled that next year Croatia and Germany would chair the Council of the European Union one after the other.

"We wish to use this fact at the European level for a constructive policy and I am already looking forward to joint cooperation between Germany and Croatia," Maas said.

He underscored that the two main themes of the German EU presidency would be unity and strength.

"I think that these are important issues for the European Union's future and am looking forward to cooperation with Croatia," he added.

Maas said that as a "regional power" Croatia brings a rich experience to relations between the European Union and the Western Balkans.

"The Western Balkans is a strategically key region for the EU. What we need in our neighbourhood is stability, democracy, economic growth and that's why we cannot turn our backs on the Western Balkans. That would be a big mistake," he said.

Pejčinović Burić said that it was important to intensify cooperation between Germany and Croatia because, among other things, both countries would chair the EU next year.

"We will discuss countries in Southeast Europe and their pathway and progress toward EU membership, of course, when conditions for that have been met," she said.

Maas pointed out the good relations between citizens in the two countries. "There are 370,000 Croatian citizens living in Germany and last year a record number of German tourists visited Croatia. For me that is an example of the Europe that we live for and that we feel like neighbours," he concluded.

More news about relations between Croatia and Germany can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 23, 2019 - Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić attended a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Friday which expressed concern about the current global trade crisis and support to protect the values of the multilateral trade system, the ministry said in a statement.

The informal meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council was held in Bucharest as part of the Romanian presidency of the European Union. The main issues discussed were the modernisation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and trade relations between the European Union and the United States of America.

The ministers expressed concern about the current crisis in global trade relations and about challenges faced by the WTO. They supported the European Commission's initiatives aimed at preserving the values of the multilateral trade system, the statement said.

Also discussed was the current state of EU-US trade relations and the intention to initiate negotiations to ease the present tensions in trade caused by the introduction of protectionist measures.

Reuters news agency said that EU ministers were aware that US President Donald Trump might impose punitive tariffs on EU car imports if they waited too long with their decision.

"Diplomats say Germany, whose exports of cars and parts to the United States are worth more than half the EU total, wants to press ahead. But France, with very few U.S. car exports, is reluctant to move before the European Parliament election in May, convinced that dealing with Trump is not a vote winner," Reuters said.

The European Commission informed the ministers of the state of trade talks with Mexico, the South American trade bloc Mercosur, Australia, New Zealand, China, Chile and Indonesia, the Croatian ministry said in its statement.

More news on Croatia and the European Union can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, February 9, 2019 - Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić is currently on an official visit to Morocco, the first visit of a Croatian foreign minister in twenty years, the ministry said in a press release on Friday evening.

Pejčinović Burić met with Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani, Speaker of the House of Representatives Habib El Malki and Minister for National Defence Administration Abdellatif Loudiyi.

They discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on current global and regional issues, as well as a common response to challenges such as terrorism, crime and illegal migration.

Three documents were signed: a memorandum of understanding on comprehensive long-term partnership between Croatia and Morocco, a memorandum of understanding on healthcare, and a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in tourism.

Also signed was a framework intergovernmental agreement on defence cooperation, the press release said.

More news on the activities of the Foreign Ministry can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, January 22, 2018 - The European Union's foreign ministers on Monday discussed an action plan to tackle fake news in the context of perceiving fake news as a challenge in the run-up to the forthcoming European Parliament elections, and Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić said that there were some in Croatia who resorted to fake news in a bid to win a seat in the European Parliament.

"In the context of preparations for countering fake news and in connection with the forthcoming EP elections, it is obvious that the election campaign has already been launched in Croatia and that there are some who use fake news in an attempt to win a seat in the European Parliament," Pejčinović Burić said in Brussels, answering questions from the press.

She also believes that the recent developments and debates in the Croatian parliament should be perceived in that context.

The EU Foreign Affairs Council focused its debate on the prevention of fake news and the influence of third countries on east and southeast Europe and on the EU's southern neighbours, as well as on the EU member-states.

The action plan outlined by the European Commission in December revolves around the exposure of citizens to large scale disinformation, including misleading or outright false information.

The Commission has engaged with all stakeholders to define a clear, comprehensive and broad-based action plan to tackle the spread and impact of online disinformation in Europe and ensure the protection of European values and democratic systems.

"The European Union has outlined an action plan to step up efforts to counter disinformation in Europe and beyond focusing on four key areas. This plan serves to build EU's capabilities and strengthen cooperation between member states by improving detection, having a coordinated response to threats, collaboration with online platforms and industry as well as raising awareness and empowering citizens," according to information on the EC's website.

The Croatian minister said that by March, the EU member-states are supposed to set up national contact points for the exchange of important information.

In the medium- and long-run it is essential to raise awareness of the existence of fake news and to enhance media culture and ways to interpret information and verify it, she added, calling for a broad struggle against this phenomenon.

More news on the elections for the European Parliament in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, January 18, 2019 - Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić on Friday dismissed the accusations of high treason and favouring Serbia's interests levelled against her by the political secretary of the opposition MOST party, Nikola Grmoja, saying MOST had done nothing to prevent Serbia from opening EU accession negotiations on Chapter 23 while it was part of the government.

Speaking at an extraordinary press conference, the minister recalled the establishment of a commission following the implementation of transitional benchmarks in chapters 23 and 24 as part of Serbia's European Union accession negotiations.

"The commission was established in 2016 under a decision of the then caretaker government and the commission was tasked solely with following the implementation of transitional benchmarks in negotiation chapters 23 and 24. The fact is that MOST was in power at that time. Why didn't the justice minister, the one in charge of monitoring the implementation of Chapter 23, block the closure of that chapter, which he absolutely could have done and had the right to do?" said Pejčinović Burić.

Pejčinović Burić said Croatia "is closely and systematically following" Serbia's compliance with all commitments and that chapters 23 and 24 were "key for Serbia's overall progress in the accession process."

She said it was in Croatia's interest to push for the rights of Croats in Serbia, resolving the issue of persons gone missing in the 1990s war as well as jurisdiction. "Serbia hasn't closed even one chapter in more than five years," she added.

Serbia opened chapters 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security) in summer 2016, but they will be closed only at the end of the negotiation process, after the benchmarks have been met. At the time, MOST was a ruling coalition partner of the HDZ party in the Tihomir Orešković cabinet and the minister of justice was MOST's Ante Šprlje.

Grmoja said in parliament on Wednesday that Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovič was "working for Serbia's interests." "Serbia has opened new chapters in negotiations with the EU and Croatia has done nothing about it, even though Serbia is not meeting the benchmarks undertaken from Chapter 23," he said, adding that Pejčinović Burić "is breaching a government decision and not convening the commission, while our former camp inmates are bringing suits against Serbia alone, without any help."

Last December, Serbia opened negotiations on chapters 17 (Economic and Monetary Union) and 18 (Statistics).

The minister also commented on today's press conference by Hrast MP Hrvoje Zekanović and Croatian member of the European Parliament Ruža Tomašić, who called for an unreserved blockade of Serbia's EU entry talks until outstanding issues between Croatia and Serbia have been dealt with.

Pejčinović Burić said she was not surprised by Zekanović's request but was by Tomašić's. "If she's that unfamiliar with the accession negotiations process and the functioning of the European Union, then we can really wonder what she has done in Strasbourg and Brussels for more than five years."

More news on the relations between Croatia and Serbia can be found in the Politics section.

ZAGREB, January 11, 2019 – Croatian Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić is one of the four candidate that have applied for the position of Secretary-General of the Council of Europe, this European organisation reported on Friday.

The CoE states that at the expiry of the deadline for member states to propose candidates for the election of the next Secretary General, the following candidatures have been sent by Belgian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Didier Reyners, a former Lithuanian premier and lawmaker, Andrius Kubilius, as well as a former Greek foreign minister and parliamentary deputy, Dora Bakoyannis.

"The Committee of Ministers will interview the four candidates separately in March 2019, and decide upon a final list of candidates that will be transmitted to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe," the CoE reported.

The Parliamentary Assembly will then proceed with the election of the next Secretary General, which is due to take place in June 2019. The mandate of the new Secretary General starts on 1 October 2019.

The current Secretary-General is Thorbjorn Jagland, a former Norwegian Prime Minister and parliament speaker.

Croatia chaired the CoE from May to November 2018.

More news on Croatia and the Council of Europe can be found in our Politics section.

ZAGREB, November 22, 2018 - Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić briefed the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg on the six-month presidency over the Committee, which focused on the fight against corruption and symbolically handed the Council of Europe presidency keys to Finland, the ministry said in a press release.

Croatia was involved in all the activities that deal with the current political challenges within the Council of Europe, notably pushing for stronger cooperation between the Committee of Ministers and the Council's other main bodies.

Over six months of its Council of Europe presidency, Croatia organized 28 events, including meetings, and presented its tourism through a rich cultural program in Strasbourg.

In her address, Pejčinović Burić said that one of the main priorities of Croatia's presidency was the fight against corruption. The central event was a ministerial conference held on that topic in Šibenik, resulting in a declaration on the launch of a network of bodies for the prevention of corruption under the auspices of Croatian, French and Italian anti-corruption authorities.

At the end of the meeting, she symbolically handed Finland the Council of Europe presidency keys, wishing it success during its presidency of the Committee of Ministers.

Pejčinović Burić also met with Council of Europe Secretary General Thornbjorn Jagland and Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini for talks on the future activity of the Committee of Ministers and other current Council matters.

For more on Croatia’s activities in the Council of Europe, click here.