Croatian Government welcomed the College of Commissioners in Zagreb

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and the Government of the Republic of Croatia welcomed the College of Commissioners and President Ursula von der Leyen i in Zagreb.

PM Plenkovic met with President von der Leyen in Banski Dvori residence this morning, after which they joined the College and Croatian government in the conference centre at the National and University Library.

In his opening speech PM Plenkovic emphasized that the Croatian Presidency will be Commission's "reliable partner" over the coming months, especially when it comes to demography, the European Green Plan and the accession of new members to the EU.

After the meeting PM Plenkovic and President von der Leyen held a joint press conference followed by more than 200 media representatives from domestic and foreign press.

"We want a balanced budget that takes into account the needs of the Member States which joined the EU in the later phase and provides finances for the policies that are crucial for their development, but we are also aware that we are facing new challenges that the EU needs to address."

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic

President Ursula von der Leyen noted that the Croatian Presidency coincides with the first 100 days of the new European Commission and that it will play a key role in adopting the new budget, which is necessary for the successful implementation of new projects such as the European Green Plan.

The Commissioners also held a series of bilateral meetings with Croatian ministers.