President Milanović and Felipe VI, The King of Spain, Discuss Bilateral Cooperation and Global Current Affairs
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović met today with His Majesty Felipe VI, The King of Spain, who is paying a two-day official visit to the Republic of Croatia together with Her Majesty Letizia, the Queen of Spain.
After the official welcoming ceremony held in the Office of the President of the Republic, the royal couple’s hosts President Milanović and his wife Prof. Sanja Musić Milanović, Ph. D., met with His Majesty King Felipe VI and Her Majesty Queen Letizia, after which a bilateral meeting of the two delegations was held.
Satisfaction was expressed at the meeting with the bilateral relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Kingdom of Spain, two friendly and allied countries and members of the European Union and NATO. His Majesty King Felipe VI and President Milanović discussed the close scientific cooperation between the two countries, notably the joint partnership in the DONES project. The meeting also covered European and global current affairs, including the security crisis in Eastern Europe caused by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
The arrival of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia in Zagreb marks the Spanish monarchs’ first official visit to Croatia. The King and Queen of Spain are paying an official visit to Croatia in the year when the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Croatia and the Kingdom of Spain is being observed, with the goal of confirming the exceptionally good bilateral relations and encouraging their further deepening.
After the meeting in the Office of the President of the Republic, Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia laid a joint wreath with the President of the Republic Zoran Milanović and his wife Prof. Sanja Musić Milanović, Ph. D., at the Monument to the Homeland, the central Croatian monument dedicated to Homeland War victims, to victory in the war and to the Croatian State. During the evening, President Milanović and Prof. Sanja Musić Milanović, Ph. D., will also host a state dinner in honour of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, in the Office of the President.
Attending the bilateral meeting alongside President Milanović were the Head of the Office of the President Orsat Miljenić, Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Kingdom of Spain Nives Malenica, Minister of Science and Education Radovan Fuchs, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Foreign and European Policy Neven Pelicarić, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Education Jadranka Žarković, State Secretary for Europe in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Andreja Metelko Zgombić, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for the Economy Velibor Mačkić and Secretary of the Cabinet for Foreign and European Policy in the Office of the President Ivan Mutavdžić.
The delegation of the Kingdom of Spain accompanying His Majesty Felipe VI, The King of Spain, was comprised of the Minister of Science and Innovation Diana Morant Ripoll, Head of the Royal Household Jaime Alfonsín Alfonso, Ambassador of Spain to the Republic of Croatia Juan González-Barba Pera, Secretary of State for the European Union Pascual Ignacio Navarro Ríos, General Secretary for Research at the Ministry of Science and Innovation Raquel Yotti Álvarez, Diplomatic Advisor to the Royal Household Alfonso Sanz Portolés and Director General for Western, Central and South Eastern Europe in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation Raquel Gómez-Cambronero Álvarez.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Filip Glas, Dario Andrišek, Marko Beljan