Minister Grlić Radman attends FAC

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Monday attended a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC)

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Monday attended a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC).

Items on the agenda included climate and energy diplomacy, COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Russia/Navalny, transatlantic relations, Turkey, the Horn of Africa, Hong Kong, as well as future cooperation with the UK in the areas of foreign policy, security and defence. 

The ministers discussed the events in Russia following the detention of Alexey Navalny, which the EU finds unacceptable. They called on Russia to release Navalny and all those detained, agreeing that the EU will continue to monitor the situation and decide on next steps depending on how it unfolds.

The Council discussed the situation of migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Grlić Radman stressed that Croatia had been warning about the harsh and inadequate conditions for a long time, underscoring the need to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina’s authorities in managing migration. He proposed that the EU allocate funds for the strengthening of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s border control institutions, and that reception centres be set up at entry points, not on the Croatian border. Croatia is assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina in that regard and is willing to continue to do so. Grlić Radman underlined that Croatia was continuing with the effective control and protection of the EU external border.

The ministers also discussed the EU strategy for sharing COVID-19 vaccines with EU’s partners. The EU will push for a fair vaccine distribution around the world. For Croatia, it is crucial to assist the countries in the EU’s immediate neighbourhood, but it is difficult to predict the dynamic of it.

The Council took stock of the EU-Turkey relations, highlighting the importance of engaging with Turkey in order to consolidate paths of dialogue and cooperation. In regard to Hong Kong, the ministers reaffirmed the importance of respecting the rule of law, human rights and democratic principles. The Council also touched on the further destabilization of the situation in the Horn of Africa, notably Ethiopia, emphasizing the need for additional diplomatic efforts in finding a political solution.

In the context of the inauguration of US President Biden, the ministers agreed to pursue a proactive engagement with the US partners, focusing on climate and Iran first.

Concerning climate, the EU will work together with global partners to ensure ambitious climate goals and provide assistance in green transition and post-pandemic recover, including Africa.

Discussing future cooperation with the UK, Grlić Radman advocated a constructive and coordinated approach, as the UK, although no longer an EU member state, remains an important partner and NATO ally in the fight against growing global challenges and threats.

In addition, the ministers held a videoconference with Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. Japan is a strategic partner of the EU. The participants discussed strengthening the EU-Japan relations, notably concerning climate change, and the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.

 

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