Foreign Minister Czaputowicz met with Croatia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić, as well as President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković to discuss bilateral issues, in particular trade, investment and tourism, as well as energy security, the Three Seas Initiative, the European integration of the Western Balkan countries and the current EU agenda, including EU budget and the Multiannual Financial Framework.

The Croatian and Polish foreign ministers also covered migration, policy towards the Eastern Partnership countries, Brexit and the upcoming informal summit of the European Council in Sibiu. The talks confirmed the will of both sides to strengthen their cooperation within the European Union and to look for common solutions with regard to the EU’s future. The diplomats also discussed Croatia’s priorities for its presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2020. “Poland fully supports Croatia’s ambitions to join the Schengen area,” said Minister Czaputowicz.

The meeting of the chiefs of Polish and Croatian diplomacy was also an opportunity to discuss military cooperation, including cooperation within NATO. The mutual understanding of allied needs is evidenced by the presence of Croatian armed forces in NATO’s battle group in Orzysz and the participation of Polish troops in the EUFOR Althea operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Last year, Croatia joined the EU’s Visegrad Battlegroup under Polish command.

The ministers also talked about the results of the Warsaw Ministerial to Promote a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East and the establishment of working groups.

An important topic of today’s talks in Zagreb was energy security. “Both Poland and Croatia attach great importance to the EU’s energy policy priorities, including the supply diversification,” noted the chief of Polish diplomacy. He also announced the plans to expand the LNG terminal in Swinoujscie and expressed his hope for the completion of works on the terminal project on the island of Krk. “Importing LNG is a much better solution than our region’s further dependence on Russian gas supplies,” he emphasized.

Minister Czaputowicz also referred to Polish-Croatian regional cooperation. He noted that owing to Poland’s and Croatia’s involvement, the Three Seas Initiative became a leading format of cooperation in the region and showed how to build a strong EU through its Central-European dimension.

The interlocutors also explored the future of the Western Balkans, in particular ahead of the preparation for the July Berlin Process summit in Poznan. “We are happy that Croatia actively participates in the Berlin Process,” highlighted Minister Jacek Czaputowicz. “In July, as part of the Polish presidency of the Berlin Process, apart from the Civil Society Forum and the Business Forum, we plan to organise for the first time a forum of research centres (think-tanks), as an event accompanying the Poznan summit.

The chief of Polish diplomacy also summed up the meeting of foreign ministers of the initiative, which was held in Warsaw on 11-12 April. Poland and Croatia agree that European integration of the region’s countries is the only way of bringing security, prosperity and stability to this part of the continent. The ministers also announced that they would continue to support the European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the Western Balkan countries. “We need to involve Western Balkan society more on its pro-European path,” emphasised Minister Czaputowicz. “We need these countries to be more visible and have more political power,” he added. The chief of the Polish MFA also noted that Poland made significant diplomatic efforts to share its experience of its preparations leading up to its EU accession.

Poland’s and Croatia’s readiness to share their knowledge and experience of the pre-accession period with the Western Balkan countries was also the topic of the Polish minister’s meeting with Croatia’s President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. The minister also underlined that Poland attaches a lot of importance to increasing the EU’s activity in the region.

Minister Czaputowicz also talked about the EU agenda with Prime Minister Plenković. The meeting also focused on the future Croatian presidency of the EU, as well as energy security, which is of key importance to both countries. Croatian prime minister also highlighted the excellent bilateral economic ties of Poland and Croatia.

 

MFA Press Office

Photo Tymon Markowski / MFA