Romania and Croatia will coordinate their activities during their turns holding Presidency of the European Union in 2019 and 2020, and the good relations between the two countries will be further improved by increased cooperation in defence, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at the start of his official visit to Bucharest on Thursday.

Romania will assume the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first six months of 2019. It will be followed by Finland in the second half of 2019, and Croatia in the first half of 2020. The three countries constitute a so-called Trio which will prepare a joint presidency programme, defining topics and issues that the EU Council intends to tackle during the 18-month period.

During a meeting with members of the ethnic Croat community in Romania at Croatia’s embassy in Bucharest, Plenkovic said that Zagreb and Bucharest “will act together as factors of cohesion in Europe’s foreign policy, which will add to the intensity of our cooperation.”

He said that the two countries would also reinforce their relationship through defence cooperation, adding that for that purpose he would sign a memorandum on cooperation with Romanian Defence Minister, Mihai Fifor, on Friday.

On Friday, Plenkovic will visit the international defence, aeronautics, and security trade fair titled Black Sea Defense and Aerospace 2018, which will feature nine companies from Croatia’s defence sector. Defence Minister Damir Krsticevic will also attend.

Plenkovic and Krsticevic are also scheduled to meet on Friday with Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, President Klaus Iohannis, and Speaker of the House of Representatives Liviu Dragnea.

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