The objective of a series of round tables is to encourage continuous dialogue in professional and academic circles about current European topics. On today’s occasion, welcoming speeches were given by the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Croatia, Dr. Bernd Fischer, the Director of the Diplomatic Academy, Dr. Mladen Andrlić, Deputy Director of the Institute for International Relations, Vesna Samardžija, and a representative of the Hans Seidel Foundation, Hans-Fiedrich von Solemacher.

On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the audience was addressed by the State Secretary for European Integration, Andrej Plenković, who stressed the importance of establishing a European diplomatic service after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty stressing that this is a new service that will gather employees of the European Commission, the EU Council Secretariat, and seconded diplomats of Member States of the European Union. The State Secretary explained that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration has been carefully following the establishment of the new service where Croatian diplomats will also serve in the future. Mentioning the current discussions between the Council and the European Parliament on the establishment of the future European foreign service, Plenković concluded that this service would contribute to the recognition and strengthening of the role of the European Union at the global scene.

The main lecture on the European foreign service was given by the Director of the European Academy Berlin, Dr. Eckart Stretenschulte.

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