- Published: 28.01.2025.
State Secretary Metelko-Zgombić attends GAC
At the outset, the Polish presidency presented its program, prioritizing comprehensive EU security across seven dimensions: external, internal, economic, energy, health, food, and information security. Welcoming these priorities, Metelko-Zgombić emphasized the importance of continued comprehensive support for Ukraine and announced the official visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal to Croatia on January 29.
She highlighted EU enlargement as a crucial geopolitical tool that directly contributes to peace, stability, and overall European security. In addition to its geopolitical significance, enlargement must be based on an individual approach and merit-based progress to ensure a positive transformative impact benefiting both the EU and accession countries. Croatia, therefore, encourages candidate countries, particularly those from the neighbouring Western Balkans, to implement credible reforms and meet the required conditions and criteria.
The State Secretary also expressed strong support for enhancing European competitiveness, emphasizing that, for Croatia, a robust cohesion policy and demographic revitalization—especially in rural areas—are particularly important. Additionally, she underlined the need for further efforts on migration issues, stressing the importance of accelerating the return of illegal migrants, strengthening strategic cooperation with partner third countries, and developing a comprehensive approach to the Mediterranean.
She also highlighted the importance of the upcoming preparations for the new Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034), which Croatia believes must be ambitious and strong enough to enable credible and collective EU action in addressing shared challenges.
As part of the regular Annual Rule of Law Dialogue in the EU, the Council exchanged views on the findings of the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report from July 2024 for Hungary, Romania, Portugal, and Slovenia. State Secretary Metelko-Zgombić welcomed the continuation of this informal dialogue, which allows for a comparative review of institutional and legislative solutions across the EU. She noted that this dialogue serves as a valuable preventive tool for strengthening mutual trust among Member States and ultimately reinforcing the rule of law in the EU. The next round of discussions in May will focus on the Commission's findings for Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, and Belgium.
Under the "Other Matters" agenda item, France reported on its initiative to enhance the integrity of European electoral processes, particularly in the context of foreign interference. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic presented options for the gradual integration of Ukraine and Moldova into the EU's single market.