Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic and his Italian and Slovenian counterparts, Enrico Letta and Alenka Bratusek respectively, on Thursday held a trilateral meeting in Venice and at a news conference after their talks they expressed satisfaction with meetings of this kind, announcing the establishment of a trilateral working group to be tasked with cooperation in energy and infrastructure in the northern Adriatic region.
The tree premiers also announced such trilateral gatherings every six months.
The host of today's conference, Italy's Letta told the news conference that they could reinforce their position inside the European Union and pointed out the example of Baltic countries that "constantly hold meetings, countries in northern Europe constantly hold meetings".
"We have common topics and interests and share many dynamics relating to this part of Europe, but not only our three countries, also other countries, such as Austria," Letta added.
Croatia's Milanovic described such meetings as useful for preparing harmonised positions for European Council gatherings.
"Croatia has entered the EU with ambitions not to be only a bystander but also to make contributions, although it is aware that it is a small country," Milanovic said reiterating Croatia's commitment to helping the EU in plans to continue its eastward enlargement.
Slovenia's Bratusek added that Croatia's admission to the EU "is a great opportunity for closer cooperation between these three Adriatic countries".
Asked by reporters whether the Venice meeting had considered a future LNG terminal which Italy intends to build in the Bay of Trieste near the border with Slovenia, while the government in Ljubljana finds this project unacceptable, Bratusek said that this had been a trilateral meeting while that issue was bilateral between Italy and Slovenia.
"Our ministers talk and I am sure that this issue will be settled," she said.
Letta said that there were natural interests connecting Slovenia, Italy and Croatia, three Adriatic countries and EU members.
One of those interests is the development of the Balkans in the light of integration of that region into the EU, according to the Italian PM.
Therefore we have decided to continue our work and make sure that this forum will continue its work through a working group that will deal with energy, infrastructure and northern Adriatic seaports, the Italian premier said.
The next trilateral meeting of Bratusek, Letta, and Milanovic is scheduled for early 2014 in Slovenia, while Croatia is expected to host such trilateral meeting in the second half of 2014.
The conference called "Coasts, Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation Between Italy, Croatia and Slovenia" was held in the seat of the Giorgio Cini Foundation in a renaissance palace on the islet of San Giorgio Maggiore.
Milanovic and Bratusek held a similar trilateral meeting with Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann in Graz on 23 August.
