Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on 16 April chaired an informal video conference meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council (Trade). The meeting focused on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on global economy and international trade system.
Ministers agreed that it was a challenge to keep trade flows open and avoid obstruction of global value and supply chains. Given the nature of the pandemic, they underscored the importance of ensuring the flow of vital medical supplies and equipment, critical agricultural products and other essential goods and services across the borders, both within and outside the EU.
Moreover, Ministers discussed the Commission's decision of March 15 stating that exports of personal protective equipment to third countries needed to be approved by member states and exempting the Western Balkan countries from this measure. Grlić Radman said that Croatia had strongly pushed for this decision, underlining that the Western Balkan countries had our support and could count on our assistance in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, Ministers discussed the Commission’s recently published guidelines on Foreign Direct Investment screening. They agreed that the EU cannot allow closing the door to international investment. The goal is to avoid the loss of property and technologies crucial for our security and economy. Ministers, therefore, agreed it was important to improve cooperation and coordinate activities as soon as possible.
"When we recover from this crisis, the international trade system based on WTO rules will be more important than ever," Grlić Radman concluded, adding that the effective fight against the COVID-19 pandemic required a joint global response.