Croatia lists priorities for presidency of Council of Europe

ZAGREB, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Croatia's priorities for the presidency of the Council of Europe will be to fight against corruption, protection of national minorities and vulnerable groups, and protection of cultural heritage, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Tuesday during a meeting with Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland.

Croatia is set to take over the presidency from Denmark at the ministerial conference, which will be held on May 17 and 18 in Helsingor. The presidency lasts six months, and Croatia will for the first time preside after entering the Council of Europe in 1996.

"I am glad that Croatia has joined the fight against evils like violence against women," Jagland said, welcoming the ratification of the Istanbul Convention by the Croatian parliament. He is of the opinion that national minorities in Croatia are protected and that they enjoy all rights.

Plenkovic announced 26 events during the Croatian presidency, while Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejcinovic-Buric said that the presidency of the Council of Europe would be "a great honor and a challenge for Croatia".

The Croatian Parliament ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) on April 13, after months of fierce political clashes between pro-European forces and conservative circles who claimed that ratification would introduce a "gender ideology". Enditem