UPDATE - Foreign Minister Lavrov Opens New Russian Embassy In Croatia

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th December, 2020) Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov opened a new Russian embassy building in Zagreb in a joint ceremony with his Croatian counterpart, Gordan Grlic Radman, on Wednesday.

He thanked Radman, ex-President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic and Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic for assistance related to the embassy's relocation. He noted that the sides had reached an agreement on new buildings for their diplomatic missions in the summer. Croatia has already unveiled its new embassy in Moscow.

According to Lavrov, the new embassy buildings are "evidence of our mutual commitment to the comprehensive development of cooperation in a wide range of areas."

"I am sure that we will soon resume cooperation in tourism, which is now on pause due to the coronavirus. Russians are very fond of Croatian resorts - both in summer and winter. And Croatian citizens could see on many occasions the hospitality with which they are welcomed in Russia," Lavrov said.

Thus, "the diplomats will not get board," the minister continued, adding that "the new building will create more comfortable conditions for them to move our relations forward.

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During his visit to the Balkan country, Lavrov also met with President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. The latter said that the two had discussed all foreign policy issues, including Ukraine.

According to Plenkovic, he offered Lavrov to look into a possibility of applying Croatia's model of "peaceful" reintegration of its Serb population living in its Danube region to Ukraine's breakaway territories.

The prime minister expressed belief that they "reached a fairly high degree of mutual understanding" on the issue, noting that he saw "no negative reactions" from Lavrov.

Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the reintegration of Croatia's Danube region was conducted under the leadership of the United Nations' Transitional Authority in Eastern Slavonia from 1996 to 1998.