Plenković: Croatia will not stop searching for the missing

“Croatia will not stop searching for another 1,740 missing persons. We will continue to cooperate with all associations of the missing and through this partnership achieve new progress, and the Government and the state will not stop these activities until the last missing person is found,” said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković in his opening speech at the Government session.

We recall that on Wednesday, the remains of four veterans were identified at the National Memorial Hospital "Dr. Juraj Njavro", including Jean-Michel Nicolier.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that this moment is important for the families of the fallen veterans and thanked Minister Medved and his associates for their dedicated work over the past nine years in finding the missing.

He also commented on the opening of the new Rijeka Gateway container terminal on Zagrebačka obala, an investment worth around 380 million euros.

“It is a terminal located in the center of Rijeka, practically directly connected to the highway, the entire supporting infrastructure is connected. In the future, we will make Croatia a true Mediterranean gateway to Central Europe through such a large investment. A partnership with a large company, at a time when Denmark is holding the presidency of the EU, and a private investment, is a huge signal,” said Plenković.

This morning, the Prime Minister met with the Executive Director of the European Environment Agency, Leena Ylä-Mononen. He said that Croatia received good marks on the state of the environment and that they are on track to meet the goals of sustainable development at the UN level.

On the agenda of the Government session was a package of three laws, the aim of which is to enable further growth, but also to prevent the devastation of space.

“These laws are crucial for proper planning, safe construction and efficient use of space. Their implementation will contribute to the protection of public interest, the safety of citizens and the quality of life in the community and the goal is to improve mechanisms for preventing all activities that devastate spatial, landscape, cultural and natural values, and in particular to combat illegal construction,” said Plenković.

He said that the adoption of these laws has a positive impact on economic investments in construction, as well as other economic sectors, with simplified and efficient obtaining of necessary permits and a reduction in regulatory burdens.

The draft budget plan for 2026 was also discussed at the Government session today. Plenković stressed that with it, the Government confirms the continuity of responsible fiscal policy, economic stability and strong integration into the heart of the European Union.

“Projections for the Croatian economy in 2026, based on this draft budget plan, are that growth will continue, that it should be 2.7 percent in 2026, that inflation will decrease to 2.8 percent, that we will reduce the share of public debt in GDP, which should fall to 56 percent, and the budget deficit is planned at 2.9 percent, in the context of strong investment in defense, energy security, demography, education, healthcare, transport infrastructure and raising the standards of our fellow citizens,” said the Prime Minister.

He emphasized that Croatia still has an investment rating at level A by all three credit rating agencies.

“This budget plan sends a message that we continue to strengthen resilience, invest in people and modernize and transform the state, all with the aim of raising the quality of life of our fellow citizens, strengthening the Croatian economy and conducting responsible fiscal policy,” he added.

Source: HRT