- Published: 12.10.2026.
Grlić Radman attends FAC: Western Balkans stability, continued support for Ukraine essential
In his remarks, Grlić Radman stressed the importance of Western Balkans stability for the security of Europe as a whole and reaffirmed Croatia’s strong support for EU enlargement, with accession based consistently on the merit-based principle. He warned of concerning political and security trends in the region, particularly the glorification of war crimes and historical revisionism, stressing that such practices were incompatible with European values. He recalled the declaration adopted at the MED9 Summit in Split, which underlined the importance of a commitment to reconciliation and the unequivocal rejection of the glorification of war crimes and genocide as prerequisites for progress towards EU membership.
During the discussion on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which was also attended by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Grlić Radman reaffirmed Croatia’s continued strong support for Ukraine, particularly in the areas of air defence and energy security ahead of winter. He stressed the need to maintain strong sanctions pressure on Russia, including efforts to counter sanctions circumvention. He also warned of intensifying Russian hybrid activities targeting the EU and its Member States and called for a resolute and coordinated European response.
On the Middle East, the minister condemned the Houthi attack on Riyadh airport and highlighted the importance of regional security and freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. He also reaffirmed Croatia’s support for Syria’s socio-economic recovery.
Minister Grlić Radman supported a more proactive EU approach to countering foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), highlighting Croatia’s experience in fact-checking, media literacy and identifying disinformation. He also stressed the need to strengthen partners’ resilience to information manipulation, particularly in the Western Balkans. Regarding Georgia, he expressed concern over the erosion of democratic standards and underlined the importance of continued dialogue and preserving the country’s European perspective.