Croatian parliament speaker begins two-day visit to Romania

Bucharest - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko began a two-day official visit to Romania on Sunday by meeting with representatives of the Croatian community in the country.

-Croatia is counting on you. You are the most important bridge between the two countries, Leko said in an address to representatives of the Croatian minority and Croatians working in Romania at a reception at the Croatian Embassy in Bucharest. He said there were great opportunities for the development of cooperation between Croatia and Romania.

Croatian Ambassador Andrea Gustovac Ercegovac said that Leko's visit was an important boost to the development of parliamentary cooperation and overall relations between the two countries, especially now that Croatia too was a member of the European Union.

Leko presented certificates of appreciation to two professors for the promotion of the Croatian language at the University of Bucharest - Professor Gamulescu Dorin, who had established the Croatian Language Department in 1996, and Professor Antoaneta Olteanu, head of the Department of Russian and Slavic Philology at the Faculty of Foreign Languages. Fifty students currently study the Croatian language and literature at the University of Bucharest.

On Monday, Leko is scheduled to meet with his host, the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Romanian Parliament, Valeriu Stefan Zgonea, as well as with Senate Speaker Crin Antonescu. Also scheduled are meetings with Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean and the Deputy Prime Minister Gabriel Oprea. (Hina)