State Minister and European Affairs Minister Willi Stächele relayed the greetings by Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister Günther Oettinger and announced his visit to Croatia. He also pointed out that Croatia enjoys a strong support from Baden- Württemberg and that one of thr Commission’s goals is to intensify the co-operation in all areas, from tourism and economy, to culture, science, and local self-government.

The topics of the session included tourism, culture, science, and the issues of European integration. The session ended with the signing of the Protocol which defined a broad co-operation in science and tourism, namely in linking the universities and junior colleges dealing with tourism education. As for culture, a series of future projects was agreed upon as a contribution to Croatia’s cultural program during Germany’s EU Presidency in the first half of 2007.