Prime Minister of Croatia Andrej Plenković has emphasized the political and economic significance of Armenia hosting the European Political Community Summit, as well as the first-ever Armenia-EU summit.

“I think it’s a very strong message to Armenia,” he told reporters ahead of the EPC Summit in Yerevan. “The fact that the European Political Community summit is held first time in Yerevan is an important signal. Also the EU-Armenia summit is an important signal for Armenia. I think that the topics that are on the agenda clearly reflect the current global situation, current major European issues, whether it’s competitiveness, whether it’s connectivity, whether it’s energy, whether it’s technological advancement, whether it’s migration issues. And I believe it’s a very positive signal for our host country,” the Croatian PM said.

Referring to regional connectivity, the Croatian Prime Minister said that transport and energy corridors play an important role not only in Europe but also in ensuring the development and peace of South Caucasus countries.

“I believe that the entire transportation of energy, of goods, of open transit, of investing into the relevant infrastructure, is critically important for the development and peace in this part of Europe, important also for all the states that are in the Caucasus,” he said.

He added that the eastern and southern parts of Europe should strengthen cooperation with other parts of the world, with connectivity projects seen as an important component of this effort.