Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Thursday participated in a videoconference of EU foreign ministers. The main topic was multilateralism, with ministers also discussing US elections, Afghanistan, Belarus, Nagorno Karabakh, Libya, Ethiopia and Turkey. On the margins of the conference, ministers held talks with Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki.
In light of the terrorist attacks in France and Austria, Grlić Radman expressed solidarity and support to our French and Austrian friends and partners, underlining the importance of unity in defending our values and fighting threats like these.
Concerning elections in the US, ministers agreed on the need to work with the new administration on further strengthening transatlantic partnership and alliance.
Concerning topical international matters, Grlić Radman reported on the local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and underlined the importance of the upcoming elections in Mostar. “It is important to look ahead now, towards the 2022 parliamentary elections. In order to achieve the functionality and political stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the electoral law needs to be changed as soon as possible,” the minister said. He called on the EU to pay more attention to Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the country requires a special approach that will take into account all its specificities and challenges it deals with, notably in terms of immigration and the socioeconomic circumstances. He invited the Council of the EU to hold a comprehensive discussion on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Ministers also discussed revitalizing the multilateral system, agreeing it was necessary that the UN be at the centre of EU’s efforts. However, efficiently responding to global challenges requires contribution from international financial institutions and other international and regional organizations. Ministers discussed concrete ideas and steps to strengthen the EU’s role and influence in the multilateral system, to promote and strengthen partnership and alliance. In that context, Grlić Radman recalled the 29th anniversary of the fall of Vukovar, which should serve as a lasting reminder and warning about how quickly tragedy can occur when multilateralism and international law give way to voluntarism and brute force.
With al-Maliki, ministers discussed the political situation in Palestine, the EU-Palestinian relations and prospects of reviving the Middle East Peace Process. They underscored EU’s commitment to a two-state solution and called for an inter-Palestinian reconciliation and holding elections. Ministers underlined EU’s readiness to assist in relaunching the talks between Israelis and Palestinians.