Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman 29 June 2020 held a meeting with the chiefs of foreign diplomatic offices.
In his keynote address, Grlić Radman reflected on Croatia’s Council of the EU presidency, whose slogan “Europe in a World Full of Challenges” proved more than appropriate in light of the coronavirus pandemic and the Zagreb earthquake.
“These past six months have taught us that multilateralism was needed more than ever, that the international order was more fragile than we had thought and that solidarity among countries is crucial for dealing with global challenges,” the minister said, adding that the EU’s economic recovery was a priority that needed to be realized for the benefit of all its member states and their citizens.
In addition, Grlić Radman stressed that Croatia had successfully handled all of the challenges during its presidency and had proven its ability to adapt.
Prime Minister Plenković said that the presidency had started well with the arrival of European officials in Croatia and visits to several European capitals.
“We ensured an orderly Brexit was ensured, a consensus was reached within the European Council on a mandate for future talks with the UK, and focus was placed on the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries, which was crowned with the launching of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania and the Zagreb Summit on enlargement,” he said.
The prime minister also reported on the EU-Eastern Partnership Summit, adding that an agreement had been reached on the Conference on the Future of Europe, which is needed more than ever. He said that a new round of negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework and a European Recovery Plan was approaching, underscoring that the EU had to show through both instruments that it stood by its member states and citizens and that it could act quickly and efficiently.
In addition, Plenković underlined that Croatia had achieved progress in two issues not related to the presidency – pushing closer to euro and the Schengen Area.