Minister Grlić Radman attends Prespa Forum

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Thursday participated in a panel on “Building Confidence through Dialogue” as part of the Prespa Forum in Ohrid

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Thursday participated in a panel on “Building Confidence through Dialogue” as part of the Prespa Forum in Ohrid.

“The consensus within the EU that Southeast European countries need to be included in the EU is of historical importance to its citizens. As Croatia’s foreign minister, I feel great satisfaction and pride that the Council of the EU decided to open negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania during our presidency in the first half of 2020. There is no magic wand that would resolve all the issues that the Western Balkan countries have been dealing with for decades. There are disputed and disagreements, with diverging views and positions. In spite of that, one is encouraged by the fact that tools have been developed to deal with problems through dialogue and negotiations as a consequence of traumatic experiences in the region,” Grlić Radman said.

As an example of this dialogue, the minister underscored the Erdut Agreement of 1995, which enabled the peaceful reintegration of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia, as well as the Dayton Agreement, calling it the most important peace agreement since World War II that ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, adding that its Annex 4 guaranteed equality for the three constituent peoples.

“The importance of the Dayton Agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina is immeasurable and any attempt to change it is unacceptable for Croatia. Lately, certain political structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina have been attempting to bring that agreement into question. The consequences would be dire for peace and security Europe-wide,” he said.

Grlić Radman also reflected on the dispute between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. “I’m still an optimist and hope that these problems will be resolved soon and that during the Slovenian presidency of the Council the EU accession negotiations will commence with Albania and North Macedonia. It is encouraging to see talks being held at the highest political levels. That is the way forward – bilateral dialogue. The European way of resolving problems, where compromise is not seen as a sign of weakness. Bulgaria and North Macedonia are friends of Croatia, with whom we share a common future in the EU,” the minister underlined.

 

Press releases