Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman on Wednesday in Madrid attended the first meeting of the MED9 group’s foreign ministers.
The group consists of nine Mediterranean and southern EU member states - Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain - accounting for 45% of the EU population.
The ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East and the EU’s relations with its Southern Neighbourhood, ten North African and Middle Eastern states.
Grlić Radman underscored the importance of this discussion among the EU member states geographically closest to the conflict.
He welcomed the agreement on a four-day humanitarian pause and the liberation of 50 hostages taken during Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October. He also emphasized the priority of preventing crisis spillover and the importance of special support to partners in the region, notably Egypt and Jordan, in dealing with economic and social challenges, including migration and terrorism.
The minister said that the Croatian government adopted a decision on aiding the Gaza Strip population with €1.25 million and expressed support for the establishment of humanitarian corridors, including by sea. He stressed the importance of joint action by the MED9 group in order to strengthen the stability and security of the EU and its Southern Neighbourhood.
On the margins of the meeting, Grlić Radman met with his Spanish counterpart José Manuel Albares, congratulating him on his reappointment as foreign minister and Spain’s successful Council of the EU presidency.
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