State Secretary Metelko-Zgombić participates in Brussels IV Conference

State Secretary for European Affairs Andreja Metelko-Zgombić participated in the ministerial segment of the IV Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, held in a virtual format

State Secretary for European Affairs Andreja Metelko-Zgombić participated in the ministerial segment of the IV Brussels Conference on Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region, held in a virtual format.

The conference is traditionally co-organized by the EU and the UN, and was chaired this year by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and UN Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock.

The main goals of the conference, which was attended by more than 80 delegations, were to underscore strong commitment on part of the EU and its international partners to finding a sustainable political solution to the Syrian crisis and gather financial support for Syria and the neighbouring countries that are accommodating Syrian refugees. Since the outbreak of armed conflict in 2011, the EU and its member states have allocated more than EUR 20 billion for alleviating the effects of the crisis, which makes the EU the leading international donor and supporter of stabilization in Syria and the neighbourhood. This year that support was additionally highlighted in view of the coronavirus pandemic, which poses a new challenge for the entire region.

The international community will continue to support the most vulnerable groups, notably women, children and the youth, and will make sure that the humanitarian and development aid reaches those that need it the most. In addition, the ministers expressed satisfaction with coordinated action on part of the EU and the UN during the pandemic, which once again underlined multilateralism as the most effective response to the challenges of today. 

Addressing the event, Metelko-Zgombić recalled that Croatia was helping Syrian refugees in a concrete way, underscoring the building and reconstruction of five schoolyards in the refugee camps in Jordan, realized in cooperation with the UNICEF. She also stressed that during its presidency, Croatia had strongly advocated the use of EU mechanisms for the empowerment of vulnerable groups, primarily women, children and the youth, which have been recognized as the key factors in the post-conflict democratic transformation of the country. Amidst the coronavirus crisis, the EU has shown solidarity and responsibility, and acting together as Team Europe shown the world how to effectively respond to new challenges without forgetting long-standing crises such as the one in Syria, said Metelko-Zgombić. Concluding her address, she reported that in 2020 Croatia will donate EUR 200,000 to the international efforts for the alleviation of the Syrian crisis.  

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