Ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to the Philippines Nebojša Koharović has paid a courtesy visit to former President and currently House Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at her residence in Quezon City.
Arroyo said both countries can do a lot of things together bilaterally on the back of 30 years of Philippine-Croatia relations.
She mentioned that the Philippines is seeking to maintain its GSP-Plus (Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus) or GSP+, which is one of the specialized incentive arrangements of the Europena Union (EU) for sustainable development and good governance in the form of zero duties. Croatia is a member of the EU.
Arroyo also relayed the Philippines’ pursuit of Croatia’s support for the former’s bid to the United Nations Security Council as a non-government member. This will be for the term 2027 to 2028 at elections to be held in 2026 in New York.
Arroyo recalled her stint as UN Security Council Summit President in 2005, “The last time it happened, I was president (of the Philippines) (and) we had a summit, so I presided over the heads of states who were in the Security Council. We had a resolution about terrorism that every country would have an anti-terrorism legislation,” Arro said.
She expressed the Philippine’ support for Croatia’s forthcoming candidature to the Human Rights Council. “We are supporting you of it for human rights. So, it’s very important of countries like you, who were once upon a time very intimately connected with Russia, to be able to (give) your point of view in the council,” she said.
For his part, Ambassador Koharović explained that Croatia is seeking a seat in the Human Rights Commission “to put things in context.”
Arroyo thanked Koharović for the visit on Tuesday. She also mentioned that her daughter, Lourdes Arroyo-Bernas, the Philippine Ambassador to Austria, is accredited in Croatia. “You met my daughter and she is going to be ambassador to your country, and we are visiting your country. (And) we will stay longest in Croatia,” she said.
Koharović assured Arroyo that they will do everything to prepare for her visit in Croatia in June.
Arroyo presented Koharović with a a silver plate with the Baybayin inscription “Kapulungan ng mga Kinatawan ng Republika ng Pilipinas.” as a souvenir from the House of Representatives. Ambassador Koharović also presented his gift to SDS Arroyo.
With Arroyo were Inter-Parliamentary Relations Service Director Menchie Dulay and Protocol and Special Affairs Service Director Karen Reside. Consul A.H. Francis Wee and her mother, Rosalind Wee who is the wife of the former Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia H.E.Leehiong T. Wee, accompanied Koharović during the call.
