The European Union has served as a tangible peace project in relations between Croatia and Italy, and it would be good if it played a similar role more broadly, President Zoran Milanovic said on Monday, a sentiment echoed by his Italian counterpart, Sergio Mattarella.

“We had a complex, intertwined history over the centuries, there was a bit of everything. In our case, the relationship between Croatia as a modern political nation and modern Italy, we can say that the European Union has truly been a tangible peace project,” Milanovic said during a joint press conference with Mattarella, who was on a visit to Croatia.

He added that the EU today is “much less than it once was” and in that sense, there are many uncertainties.

“But in terms of everyday life, neighbourly relations and cooperation, the European Union has been beneficial and useful for Croatia and Italy. It would be good if it played a similar role more broadly,” Milanovic said.

Mattarella also stated that the Union was created to offer a vision of peace to a continent devastated by wars, a peace that has lasted in Europe for more than 70 years.

“This is one of those conditions that can serve as a model for other countries and the international community. Europe has always sought and considered the need for security, but above all when it comes to forms of cooperation in the world,” Mattarella said.

“Italy and Croatia firmly support one another, share common goals, and in these dramatic and difficult times marked by horrible wars seek to help restore to the international community the peace, coexistence and stability that have been so gravely undermined in recent years. This is precisely why our cooperation is so valuable, and why new forms and instruments are being sought to help us move forward.”

Mattarella visited Croatia in 2015 during his first term, just as Milanovic made an official visit to Italy during his first term in 2021.

According to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics, Italy is Croatia’s second-largest foreign trade partner. In 2024, the total trade volume between the two countries amounted to 8.41 billion, with Croatian exports to Italy reaching 2.74 billion and imports 5.67 billion.