Cooperation is only way to deal with numerous challenges, says Plenkovic

The EU-Arab League summit is an important step in strengthening the strategic cooperation between the two organisations that face numerous challenges from terrorism, migrations to the Middle East peace process, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in his address at the summit in the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el Sheikh.

Addressing leaders of some 50 EU and Arab League countries who met for the first time at that level, Plenkovic said that there political will existed to strengthen cooperation between the two Mediterranean coasts and the Middle East and that the summit was an important step in strengthening that cooperation based on the strategic dialogue launched in 2015.

Plenkovic thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi for the hospitality Egyptians showed to Croat refugees, giving them shelter during World War II.

More than 30,000 Croats found refuge in 1944 in a complex of refugee camps set up by the Allies in El-Shatt on the Sinai Peninsula.

In his address, Plenkovic underlined that terrorism was one of the main challenges of modern world.

As the global coalition against Daesh has shown, our strength lies in expanding and strengthening international and inter-regional partnership, he said, noting that in fighting terrorism one should address the roots of radicalisation such as lack of economic and social development and adding that Croatia wanted to contribute, both as a member of the EU and individually, to strengthening cooperation, investment and trade and the development of the digital society, while respecting the environment and fighting against climate change.

Plenkovic said that the second challenge was migrations and that this required cooperation between the countries migrants originate from, transit countries and destination countries.

He said that in its actions, Croatia had always respected international and humanitarian law and the EU's moral principles.

"We had such an approach in 2015 as well as in the years after, when the migrant tide subsided for the most part," he said, underlining the importance of both sides cooperating closely on the issue of migrations, including the fight against people smuggling.

He noted that a lot remained to be done with regard to peace and stability in individual countries of the Middle East and North Africa.

"The peoples of Libya, Iraq, Syria, Yemen deserve to live in peace and stability. It is our task to help them achieve that. We know from our experience that strengthening peace requires reconciliation and efforts to build peace. We hope that there will be progress in the Middle East peace process where both sides have to show good will when it comes to the establishment of a sustainable Palestinian state that will live in peace with Israel. The part of the world we share is the cradle of humanity, so we carry great responsibility on our shoulders," said Plenkovic.

Text: Hina

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