At today’s session, the government adopted the programme of Croatia’s presidency of the EU Strategy for the Adriatic-Ionian Region (EUSAIR) and the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative (AII). Croatia will be chairing these organizations from 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2024.
EUSAIR participating countries include four EU member states (Greece, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia) and six non-EU members (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, San Marino, North Macedonia, Serbia). Croatia has to date chaired the EUSAIR once (2015-2016) and the AII three times (2000-2001, 2007-2008, 2015-2016). These latest presidencies coincide with Croatia’s 10th EU membership anniversary.
The programme outlines political and thematic priorities that Croatia will promote. These concern EUSAIR transformation in new macroregional circumstances, stronger EUSAIR/AII contribution to EU enlargement, finishing EUSAIR audit, and stronger institutional networking within the four existing EU macroregional strategies.
As thematic priorities, guided by extant circumstances and context, Croatia has set boosting resilience through better connectedness – transport, digital, and energy; sustainable growth and tourism; and stimulating social cohesion by introducing a new area of cooperation – social affairs.
These presidencies are yet another opportunity for us to show our readiness to contribute to providing solutions to the challenges that surround us and prompt better use of the potential that macroregional cooperation holds.
The central presidency event will be the EUSAIR Annual Forum/ministerial meeting of the Adriatic-Ionian Council, scheduled for May 2024.
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