Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Thursday held talks with European Council President Charles Michel on endeavours to reach agreement on a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) among the European Union's member-states during Croatia's presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2020.

Reaching a deal on the new MFF for the period between 2021 and 2027 is a crucial challenge for the Croatian presidency after the Finnish presidency did not manage to bring the positions of the member-states closer regarding this topic.

Now it is up to the Croatian presidency to try to find a solution in cooperation with the MFF main coordinator, European Council President Michel, as a neutral participant in the negotiations on this topic.

A consensus should be reached between the wealthier EU member-states, net contributors to the EU budget, and poorer ones which absorb EU funds in order to catch up with those developed countries.

After their meeting, Plenkovic and Michel will address the press.

Michel, who arrived in Zagreb on Wednesday, already met the country’s President-elect Zoran Milanovic, and later on Thursday he will be received by Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic.

On Thursday evening Michel will attend a special concert in the Croatian National Theatre (HNK) on the occasion of the start of the Croatian presidency of the Union.