President Stjepan Mesic on Wednesday received credentials from the newly-appointed Russian Ambassador to Croatia, Robert V. Markaryan, the President's Office said in a press release. During the ceremony, Markaryan said that the firm foundation that had been laid in bilateral relations so far provided an opportunity for raising bilateral ties to a higher level through concrete and mutually beneficial projects.
Special attention should be devoted to strengthening Russian-Croatian cooperation at the multilateral level, by discussing issues on the agenda of leading international organisations, Markaryan said.
President Mesic said that Russia was one of Croatia's most important partners and one of the key factors on the international scene, stressing that a lot could and should be done in promoting Croatian-Russian relations. President Mesic particularly emphasised the importance of Russian investments in Croatia.