Opening the consulate, Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu said that the event was proof of the growing interest of Romanians in Croatia's economy, culture and tourism as well as of Croatia's increased interest in Romania.
Melescanu, who is also expected to meet with Foreign and European Affairs Minister Marija Pejcinovic Buric and other Croatian officials, said that the Croat community in Romania and the Romanian community in Croatia served as an important link in relations between the two countries.
Speaking of Romania's honorary consul in Split, Stjepan Roglic, Melescanu said that he was a successful businessman and would certainly help advance economic relations between the two countries.
Croatian Assistant Foreign and European Affairs Minister Ivica Glasnovic said that there was great potential for further cooperation between the two countries, within regional initiatives as well as within the EU and NATO.
"In 2017, around 107,000 Romanians visited Croatia and made more than 430,000 overnight stays, which is an increase of some 13% compared to the year before," said Glasnovic, noting that crucial for the two countries' stronger economic and tourist cooperation was the introduction of a regular Zagreb-Bucharest flight service and of charter flights between Split and Bucharest in 2017.
Roglic said that his company Orbico, which distributes consumer goods and provides services to Croatian exporters, employs around 100 people in Romania.
Split-Dalmatia County head Blazenko Boban said that the Romanian consulate was the 20th consular office to be opened in Split.