ZAGREB, 2 Oct (Hina) – Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated on Thursday in Copenhagen, at the European Political Community (EPC) summit, that the security of Ukraine and the security of Europe are inseparable. The seventh EPC summit took place in Copenhagen on Thursday.
The forum brings together 47 European countries, with the exception of Russia and Belarus. The EPC was created following the outbreak of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, with the aim of coordinating responses to shared challenges and serving as a platform for informal political and strategic dialogue.
The main themes of this seventh summit were Ukraine and the general security situation in Europe.
Following the plenary session, summit participants broke into several groups for roundtable discussions on various aspects of European security, including traditional and hybrid threats, economic security, and migration.
Prime Minister Plenković took part in the roundtable discussion “Security and Resilience – Traditional and Emerging Challenges”.
Incursions into EU airspace show that the security of Ukraine and Europe are inseparable, and our task is to protect the international order based on respect for international law, said the Croatian PM.
He emphasised that Croatia supports peace, but not any peace, rather a just and lasting peace that respects Ukraine’s territorial integrity and guarantees a secure future.
Plenković welcomed the sanctions imposed on Russia and NATO’s decision to increase defence spending. He noted that Croatia is making significant efforts to further modernise its armed forces and reach the target of allocating 3.5% of GDP for defence and 1.5% for related activities.
He also highlighted the importance of the LNG terminal on the island of Krk and the Adriatic oil pipeline for Europe’s energy security and the gradual reduction of dependence on Russian energy sources.
Plenković expressed support for the enlargement of the European Union, which he described as a long-term investment in Europe’s security and stability.
Our focus is on the countries of Southeast Europe, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, and we also strongly support the European aspirations of Ukraine and Moldova, he concluded.
