ZAGREB, 24 June 2022 - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy individually thanked each leader of the EU member states for granting his country candidate status, including Croatia's Prime Minister for "helping with the experience of defending freedom," Ukrainian media reported on Friday.

"Croatia is with us. Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister, for your help with the experience we are using to protect our freedom,” Zelenskyy said on Thursday after Ukraine was granted EU candidate status, according to the Ukrainian Kyiv Post.

Addressing EU leaders on Thursday, Zelenskyy said they had made one of the most important decisions for Ukraine in its 30 years of independence.

"However, I believe that this decision is not only for Ukraine. "This is the biggest step towards strengthening Europe that could be taken right now, in our time and in such difficult conditions, when the Russian war is testing our ability to preserve freedom and unity," Zelensky said.

The leaders of the EU member states made a historic decision in Brussels on Thursday and granted candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova and promised a European perspective to Georgia.

Ukraine and Moldova received candidate status in the shortest possible time until now.

Ukraine submitted a request on 28 February this year, four days after the Russian invasion, and a few days later the same was done by Georgia and Moldova.

As early as 7 March, the European Council asked the European Commission to draw up an opinion on these requests. The EC did so on 17 June.

Croatia, for example, applied for membership on 21 February 2003, and two months later the Council asked the Commission to issue an opinion.

One year later, in April 2004, the Commission issued its opinion for Croatia, and its candidate status was granted in June 2004. Croatia joined the EU in mid-2013.

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ZAGREB, 22 June - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Tuesday spoke on the phone with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to express support to Ukraine ahead of the European Union's decision to grant the candidate status to Ukraine.

The European Council will convene for 23-24 June in Brussels to discuss the wider Europe, Ukraine, EU membership applications from Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia, economic issues, the Conference on the Future of Europe and external relations.

"Ahead of the meeting of the European Council I spoke on the phone with President  Zelenskyy to convey our support to Ukraine in obtaining the status of EU candidate. We grieve the deaths of many innocent victims and we continue providing assistance to Ukraine that is defending its freedom and the values of the whole Europe," the Croatian PM wrote on his Twitter account.

The support to Ukraine's prospective status of candidate for EU membership has already been expressed by the leaders of Germany, France and Italy who together visited Kyiv last week.

While a majority of the EU member-states express the support to the future status of candidate for Ukraine, the Netherlands and Denmark and some other countries seem reserved about those prospects.

The decision on granting candidate status has to be adopted unanimously.

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May the 8th, 2022 - Croatian PM Andrej Plenkovic visits Ukraine as the war rages on following Russian invasion which began back in February this year. He has paid a visit to the capital, Kyiv, and will have further meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, Andrej Plenkovic arrived in the City of Kyiv on Sunday morning as part of his visit to Ukraine, where he will meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Prime Minister Denis Smihal and Parliament Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk, Banski dvori announced.

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlic Radman is also in Kyiv as Plenkovic visits Ukraine.

"Croatia knows what it's like to be under military aggression and continues to provide political, diplomatic, financial, humanitarian, technical and any other possible support to Ukraine, as well as assistance in taking care of Ukrainian refugees," the government said in a statement.

During the meetings, the Ukrainian state leadership will inform Plenkovic about the consequences of the destruction caused by the Russian attacks on Ukraine, and they will also discuss further assistance and the continuation of Ukraine's European Union (EU) path.

The Croatian Ambassador to Ukraine has also returned to Kyiv

Plenkovic's visit to Ukraine is taking place on the eve of Europe Day and is an expression of solidarity and support for the Ukrainian authorities and the brave Ukrainian people, who are victims of brutal and horrendous Russian aggression.

Prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Prime Minister paid an official visit to Ukraine in December 2021, and also attended a meeting of the Crimean Platform summit with EU leaders back in August 2021.

Plenkovic and Minister Grlic Radman were welcomed by Ambassador Anica Djamic, who herself returned to Kyiv, where she will remain and continue to work at the helm of the Croatian Embassy in Ukraine.

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ZAGREB, 22 Aug, 2021 - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković will travel to Ukraine on Sunday to take part in the inaugural summit of the Crimean Platform in Kiev.

During his two-day visit, Plenković will hold talks with former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Zelensky is expected to present the Crimean Platform, an initiative of Ukraine aimed at raising the issue of Crimea in international cooperation and strengthening international coordination on the situation in Crimea.

The Platform is to operate at several levels: heads of state and government, foreign ministers, inter-parliamentary cooperation, expert networks.

The participants in the summit are expected to adopt a joint declaration confirming commitment to Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity and defining the framework for the international policy toward Crimea.

The summit takes place on the eve of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. Approximately 40 foreign delegations are expected to attend.

The Croatian prime minister will be accompanied by Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Raman and Defence Minister Mario Banožić.

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