Minister Grlić Radman attends GAC, Intergovernmental Conferences with Montenegro and Serbia

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on 22 June 2021 attended a meeting of the General Affairs Council

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on 22 June 2021 attended a meeting of the General Affairs Council. The main topics were the preparations for the European Council meeting of 24-25 June and the enlargement process. EU leaders will meet in Brussels to discuss COVID-19, economic recovery, migration and external relations, including relations with Turkey and Russia.

Regarding COVID-19, Grlić Radman underscored the importance of a coordinated approach by the EU, in terms of both vaccine and new viral strains and a return to free movement and revitalization of the economy. Welcoming the growing number of active Digital COVID Certificates, he said Croatia was still pushing for the acceptance of rapid antigen tests and using all available ECDC charts, including NUTS 3, for a more accurate information about the situation in individual regions and subregions. Stressing the importance of global solidarity, the minister recalled Croatia’s financial contribution to COVAX and vaccine donations to countries in the neighbourhood.  

In the context of migration, Croatia finds external border management particularly important as well as the strengthening of partnership with the Western Balkan countries. Croatia insists on a comprehensive approach to migration routes and addressing the root cause of migration, Grlić Radman said.

During a discussion on EU enlargement, the minister welcomed the agreement on IPA III and the harmonization of views on new methodology in Montenegro and Serbia’s accession talks. In that context, he supported the first intergovernmental conferences with the two countries and underlined Croatia’s strong support for the commencement of accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia as soon as possible. Concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia eagerly awaits the Council’s review of the fulfilment of the priorities from the Commission’s Opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s membership application. Additionally, Grlić Radman expressed Croatia’s support for the liberalization of visa regime with Kosovo.

The Portuguese Presidency informed ministers of the outcome of the Lisbon European citizens' event on 17 June and of the Conference's first plenary on 19 June.

The Council also held a hearing on the rule of law in Hungary and Poland (Article 7 (1) TEU procedure).

On the margins of the meeting, at the intergovernmental conferences with Montenegro and Serbia, Grlić Radman welcomed the implementation of the new accession methodology. He called for Serbia to put more effort into fundamental areas, notably processing was crimes, shedding light on the fat of missing persons and ensuring the protection of minority rights. Concerning Montenegro, the minister welcomed last week’s resolution on Srebrenica, adopted by Montenegro’s Assembly, adding that additional effort was needed in key reforms to close the chapter.

For us, it is extremely important that Montenegro is committed to European values and policies, and is willing to build relations with the neighbours, Grlić Radman underscored.

 

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