ZAGREB, 24 Feb 2022 - In the wake of Russia's military attack on Ukraine on Thursday morning, Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković expressed solidarity with the people of Ukraine, saying he hoped military operations would be halted and that the Sabor would issue a declaration in that regard.

"I ask you to show solidarity. We are a country that experienced a similar situation in our recent past. We suffered huge casualties and property damage. We express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine and believe and hope that military operations will be stopped," Jandroković said in the Sabor.

He called on the Foreign Affairs Committee to present the plenary with a declaration that will clearly support Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and harshly condemn Russia's military invasion and aggression.

"I call on the Committee Chairman Gari Capelli and Committee members to urgently propose a declaration that will call for an immediate cessation of military operations in an effort to prevent great casualties and property damage," said Jandroković.

He recalled that on 22 February the Committee adopted a unanimous conclusion expressing concern over the situation in Ukraine and supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence within its internationally recognized borders and a peaceful settlement of disputes.

Secure and stable Ukraine in Europe's strategic interest

The Committee expresses its firm belief that a secure, stable, and prosperous Ukraine is in the interest of the entire European continent, and condemns the violation of international law by the Russian Federation.

The Committee will continue to closely monitor the situation in Ukraine and based on it will once again discuss the situation in Ukraine and its immediate surroundings, Jandroković read out the Committee's conclusions to MPs.

He called on lawmakers to be responsible and aware of what is happening and of the possible consequences which "might be inconceivable."

"I call on everyone to be very cautious, to follow what is happening and to be responsible to our duties and obligations," underscored Jandroković who met with the government prior to the Sabor sitting, in reference to the latest developments in Ukraine.

For more, check out our politics section.

ZAGREB, November 30, 2020 - Former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic on Monday called for solidarity in the struggle against COVID-19 pandemic, and underscored the importance of vaccines to immunise the population.

"I believe that it is not easy to those who make decisions on (anti-COVID) measures, since it is necessary to strike a balance between the public health and economic implications. One should make it clear that all this is not about measures but it concerns the responsibility of individuals and the general public. No measure can be successful unless it is respected by citizens," said Grabar-Kitarovic, a member of the International Olympic Committee, before the start of a conference on investments in sports, which is taking place in Zagreb.

She called for the compliance with the measures and for solidarity with those who are at the highest risk of infection.

Considering the matter of vaccination, she said that she and her family would get jabs as soon as it could be possible.

Asked by the press whether she trusted the national COVID-19 crisis management team, Grabar-Kitarovic answered in the affirmative and called for following advice given by experts. 

ZAGREB, Aug 31, 2020 - Central European leaders gathered at the Bled Strategic Forum in Slovenia on Monday, saying that during the time of the coronavirus Europe needed more solidarity and should abandon double standards for its member states.

The Bled Strategic Forum, the most important foreign policy event in Slovenia, hosted a panel discussion on the topic "Europe after Brexit and Covid-19", with the prime ministers of Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, and Bulgaria, the president of Serbia and the director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in attendance.

At the start of the discussion, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic spoke about Croatia's presidency of the European Union in the first half of the year, underscoring that the maximum had been done in the circumstances of the pandemic, a crisis which "started as a health problem and grew into a crisis of all aspects of society."

Italy's Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, who participated via video link from Rome, said that the pandemic highlighted the value of solidarity and that the EU proved that it could respond as a community of interests inspired by common values.

He added that the present crisis was a great chance for a stronger and more cohesive Union.

IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva, who too participated via video link from Sofia, said that there was the reason for optimism. Together we created ground under the feet of the global economy by creating liquidity, she said.

She underlined that the second round of financial aid to the world economy has to be tied to investments in digitization, education, and the capacity to deal with climate change that will affect us even more strongly than the coronavirus.

She added that it was natural that at the start of the pandemic each country shut itself within its own borders. However, with its Next Generation package of financial support, the EU proved that that was history and that observers from outside Europe were pleased because Europe showed its solidarity.

Plenkovic said that in the months to come it was necessary to reach a balance between national measures, which once again showed the importance of the role of states, and a European and global response, adding that there was a consensus n European policy that it was necessary to fight the coronavirus together.

Democratic standards topic at Bled Strategic Forum

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban denied the accusations against his country, saying that democracy in Hungary was at the same level as that in Germany and Italy, but based on a Christian and not a liberal model. He added that Europe needed a joint army that would be the driver of technological innovations.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that inequality still existed in the EU as far as freedom was concerned because companies from the Union's east did not have the same opportunities as those in its west.

We have to retain solidarity and unity in Central Europe but also be a part of the European Union. The Central European dimension is different but it is not contrary to the EU, he said. 

Janez Jansa, the prime minister of the host country, accused European policy of being hypocritical in 2014 because it did not condemn "election thievery" in Slovenia when he was a "political prisoner", while today it is condemning countries where there are no political prisoners.

Serbia's President Aleksandar Vucic spoke about double standards in western Europe, citing as an example attempts to storm the parliaments of Serbia and Germany.

When that occurred in Belgrade 27 people were arrested and that was presented as a dictatorship, and when such an attempt was made in Berlin and more than 300 people were arrested, that was then proof of democracy, said Vucic.

Serbia wishes to join the European Union, but Brussels should show more respect, Vucic said, adding that in his country the EU is perceived as an institution that is creating pressure for Kosovo's independence which is why 40 percent of Serbia's population is opposed to that integration.

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