Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Friday in Vienna attended the OSCE High-Level Conference on Climate Change. The minister participated in a panel discussion on “Bridging National and Global Action – Regional Cooperation to Tackle Climate Change" with OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmidt, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John F. Kerry, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, OSCE Chairman and North Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani, and Kazakh Minister of Ecology and natural Resources Zulfiya Suleimenova.
Addressing the event, Grlić Radman underscored that sustainable development was one of Croatia’s priorities, given its Mediterranean locale. He said that the Adriatic Sea, islands and coast were home to the most valuable and most vulnerable ecosystems, which is why significant efforts are being invested in preserving the maritime environment and biodiversity.
In that context, the minister highlighted Croatia’s EUSAIR/AII presidency, saying that we continue to promote projects aimed at creating synergy and coordination in four areas: sustainable tourism, environmental quality, ecologically sustainable transport networks, and blue growth – promoting research, innovation and business opportunities. He added that Croatia, through national funds and EU instruments, was advancing three parallel processes – digital transformation, demographic revitalization and green transition.
Grlić Radman also reflected on the importance of joint efforts with our regional and global partners, which are crucial in combating climate change. “We must identify additional areas where we can advance clean energy transformation and the fight against climate change in Southeast Europe, be it bilaterally or through EU mechanism and initiatives. Croatia is, therefore, consistently working to strengthen regional cooperation and through various regional initiatives is assuming responsibility for a more protected environment, bearing in mind that solutions have to be sustainable and resilient,” the minister said. In that context, he underlined Croatia’s long-standing active participation in the Danube Commission and the International Sava River Basin Commission, which is headquartered in Zagreb. “Danube and Sava are the oldest cultural, civilizational and transport links in Central and Southeast Europe, which need special attention and protection amidst the global climate crisis,” he stressed.
Press releases
