Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Monday in Bucharest attended the Munich Leaders Meeting, where he participated in a panel on promoting connectivity in the Western Balkans.
In his address, the minister underscored the importance of regional cooperation in the speeding up of the European integration of the Western Balkan countries and recalled the recent Berlin Process summit, which had highlighted the need for a stronger connectivity on all levels: energy, transport, digital and human. He added that the Berlin Process was extremely important for the continuation of reforms in the Western Balkans, the confirmation of its belonging to the Euro-Atlantic family, as well as its overall stability, economic progress, and development.
“The European path and stronger resilience of the Western Balkan countries is in Croatia’s strategic interest. Energy infrastructure and transport networks, together with the digital sector, are some of the crucial factors contributing to economic development, prospects, and jobs,” Grlić Radman said. He added that the present energy crisis could be managed through a stronger regional cooperation, where Croatia, thanks to its geostrategic position, has the potential to become an energy hub for the Central and Southeast Europe, including the Western Balkans.
Concluding his address, the minister underlined that a clear European perspective was the only road towards the stability of the Western Balkans. He added that the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a member of the NATO Membership Action Plan, was of special, even strategic importance to Croatia. “We will continue to provide assistance and knowledge to Bosnia and Herzegovina in terms of reforms and obligations concerning NATO membership, as we are doing in terms of the country’s wider European journey,” emphasized Grlić Radman.
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