Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic met with visiting Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs Hans Dahlgren in Zagreb on Friday, discussing bilateral relations and the priorities of the forthcoming Croatian presidency of the European Union, a government press release said.

Plenkovic and Dahlgren expressed their satisfaction with the good political relations between Croatia and Sweden and their partnership within the European Union. They called for strengthening economic cooperation and trade between the two countries, which has seen a rise this year.

Sweden is an important economic partner to Croatia, particularly in trade, investment and tourism. About 35,000 Croats and their descendants live in Sweden, they are well integrated and constitute an additional link between the two countries.

Plenkovic outlined the priorities of Croatia’s EU presidency in the first half of 2020 relating to economic growth, the single market, cohesion, climate change, digital, transport and energy connectivity, internal and external security, and strengthening the Union’s global role.