Plenković and Costa on the political priorities of the European Union, global security and the new European budget

In a statement to the media after the meeting, Prime Minister Plenković said that they discussed all the topics on the agenda of European leaders, primarily issues of global security, especially the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.
 
They also discussed the negotiations that will take place over the next two years on the new Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union, for the period 2028-2034, based on the proposal by the European Commission.
 
The Prime Minister explained that the proposal seeks to link political priorities with the real financial capabilities of member states in a new way, with a special emphasis on financing defense policy.
 
Support for enlargement policy based on individual merits
 
They also discussed Southeast Europe, following a discussion on enlargement policy at the Strategic Forum in Bled held the day before.
 
"Croatia advocates for continued enlargement based on the fulfilment of individual criteria by all candidates, and we want this process to be both fair and dynamic, and to the benefit of countries wishing to join the European Union," said the Prime Minister, emphasizing the importance of the functionality of the European Union in terms of budgetary repercussions and decision-making methods.
 
They also spoke about the sound foundations of the program framework in the new institutional cycle.
 
Keeping demographic revitalization among the priorities of the member states
 
Croatia is particularly interested to ensure that the topic of demographic revitalization continues to be among the political priorities of the member states, Prime Minister Plenković emphasized, because it is a horizontal issue throughout Europe.
 
This visit by the President of the European Council is also important for further sensitizing the Croatian public to the most current European issues, he said, adding that this kind of communication also contributes to a better understanding of the current European moment among the Croatian public.
 
This, he added, also contributes to strengthening Croatia's international position, which, after membership in the eurozone and the Schengen area, is in the final stages of the process of joining the OECD.
 
Costa: We are a union of nations and all nations matter
 
European Council President António Costa said that the purpose of his tour is to bring European institutions closer to the citizens of the European Union.
 
"We are a union of nations and all nations matter," he said, adding that it is therefore very important to listen to all leaders in order to shape the main common priorities in the coming period.
 
It is important, he added, that we listen to each other in order to preserve unity because unity is our greatest strength.
 
Competitiveness and security key topics on the European Union agenda
 
He highlighted the most important topics on the European Union agenda, competitiveness and security, which includes environmental protection and defense.
 
Regarding enlargement, the European Council President said that it is the biggest geopolitical investment in European security.
 
It is a very demanding process, he stressed, but we must focus on it and continue to cooperate with all candidate countries to ensure that we achieve success in this institutional cycle.
 
When it comes to budget negotiations, Costa said that all institutions need to continue to cooperate with the European Commission in order to adopt a new Multiannual Financial Framework on time, which will ensure effective levers for the development of the main priorities.