The State Secretary at the Croatian Foreign Ministry, Hido Biscevic, held talks with the Under-Secretary at the Italian Foreign Ministry, Famiano Crucianelli, who promised his country's support for the speeding up of negotiations between Croatia and the European Union. Italy will support Croatia's request that talks between Croatia and Turkey with the EU be conducted separately, he said.
As for bilateral relations, the two sides discussed the opening of the Croatian real estate market to Italian nationals.
The Croatian officials said that Croatia had never intended to discriminate against Italians in relation to other EU citizens, and that the Croatian real estate market was open to Italians under the Agreement on Association with the EU and related agreements that were in force in EU countries.
Biscevic said that the Italian government officials had given assurances that Italy's legislation made it possible for Croatian nationals to buy real estate in Italy regardless of whether or not they had residence there, and that the Italian Foreign Ministry had sent a special note to the national association of public notaries in that regard.
Croatia's obligation of paying compensation for real estate belonging to Italians who left it in Croatia after World War II will be discussed at the next meeting, to be held in about ten days.
The two sides also discussed the construction of an oil pipeline via Croatia and Slovenia to Trieste, as well as other investments in Croatia. They paid special attention to cooperation on the Adriatic, including a joint strategy of development on the northern Adriatic and cooperation among ports.
Also discussed was the situation in the region, particularly in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina.