President Victor Yushchenko on Thursday spoke to lawmakers in the Sabor (Croatia’s parliament) and said Ukraine was interested in developing "a new and dynamic partnership, and a close political and social dialogue” with Croatia, according to the President`s press-office.
In his speech, the president said the two countries should build an effective model of “systemic, complex and mutually beneficial” economic cooperation, adding that Ukraine and Croatia could interact in such areas as investment, agriculture and construction.
Yushchenko said his country wanted to participate in the Druzhba-Adria Pipeline Integration Project to jointly transport oil. “We suggest forming a competitive, profitable and effective dialogue in this area,” he said, praising trade relations between Ukraine and Croatia.
The president described Ukraine and Croatia’s shared course to integrate into the European Union as "an important background for the Ukrainian-Croatian partnership.”
“Ukraine has friendly and trustful ties with Poland and Lithuania, members of the EU and NATO. We actively promote the European movement of our GUAM partners, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Moldova. We help create a new format of cooperation in the Baltic-Black Sea-Caspian region,” he said, adding that Zagreb’s participation in these processes was “not only natural but also useful for promoting democracy.”
Yushchenko called on the Sabor to recognize Ukraine’s Soviet-era famine as genocide against the Ukrainian nation. “Our people will gratefully accept such a decision as a token of support and moral aid.”
