(ANSA) - ZAGREB, OCTOBER 31 - Growth, infrastructure, security and a strong impact on a global scale will be the priorities of the European Union semi-annual presidency, which Croatia will take over on January 1st, for the first time since the country's accession to the EU in 2013. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced, saying that his country will strive for a more balanced growth within the EU, to reduce the differences between the east and west of Europe.

"In this age of great technological, geopolitical and demographic changes, the economy and the labor market in Europe have to face increasing competition, particularly from China and the United States, and for this reason the EU's response must be a Europe that grows in a more balanced way", said the Croatian prime minister. Therefore, the Croatian rotating presidency will aim at "greater integration of the common market, more investments in the IT sector and research, to be more competitive on a global scale". Experts underline, however, that Croatia will first have to focus on managing Brexit if this takes place at the end of January. It is worth remarking the coincidence that Brexit itself had opened the possibility for Croatia to take over the EU's rotating presidency in the first half of 2020. The very same period during which, according to a plan dating back to some years ago, the UK presidency had instead been planned.

In addition to Brexit, the semi-annual Croatia's presidency will have to focus on the drafting of the EU's new five-year financial plan and enlargement to the countries of the Western Balkans. After the EU failed to start accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania, Croatia's role in this regard could be much more influential than expected. Plenkovic reiterated his government's full support for the European prospect of the Balkan countries, underlining that an important EU-Balkan summit is scheduled for May in Zagreb. This meeting will focus on the enlargement of the Union to the Balkan region. (ANSA).