Croatia opens EU presidency with concert in Zagreb

A ceremonial concert marking the official beginning of Croatia's presidency of the Council of the European Union was held in the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb on Thursday evening.

Along with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and other top state officials, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and the bulk of her commission, as well as the President of the European Council Charles Michel were also on hand. President Von Der Leyen noted that Croatia’s role over the next six months will not be insignificant.

"Croatia is able to show leadership. We need leadership for these very important topics, where the budget is concerned. So, the negotiation skill of Croatia is very important for us. Of course, we need Croatia for the Brexit negotiations, because this is the crucial phase we are in, but there are also other topics like the conference on the future of Europe, or tackling the topic demography, is very important for us, and I'm very grateful that Croatia shows so much engagement and dedication," commission president Von Der Leyen concluded.

Source: HRT