Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on 6 and 7 April in Brussels attended a meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
The meeting focused on the Russian aggression against Ukraine and its implications on the security in Europe and beyond, as well as on the new Strategic Concept.
The first day of the meeting saw the ministers discussing the new Strategic Concept, expected to be adopted at the NATO summit in June. For Croatia, apart from boosting defence and deterrence, it is crucial that the document keeps the open door policy alive and relevant, and underscores the strategic importance of the Western Balkans for NATO. Croatia also pushed for a better coordination of NATO and EU’s policies and efforts in the neighbourhood. In addition, we strongly supported a new vision of partnerships based on common values and compatible national policies.
On the second day, NATO foreign ministers were joined by their counterparts from Sweden, Finland, Georgia and Ukraine, the Asian-Pacific partners – Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, as well as by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. Discussed were the long-term effects of the Russian aggression on the European security and international order. The participants reiterated strong support and solidarity with Ukraine, underlining the need to defend the fundamental principles of European security, including the right of each country to choose its own foreign policy.
At a separate meeting the same day, in the allied format, the ministers discussed NATO’s concrete response to the war in Ukraine, as well as continued support to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Moldova. Grlić Radman emphasized the need for a clear Euro-Atlantic perspective for Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country of three equal constituent peoples in accordance with the Dayton Agreement.
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