- Published: 10.07.2015.
Croatia Forum starts in Dubrovnik
Development cooperation, the topic of this year's Croatia Forum, is a key instrument in international relations and a way to resolve a large-scale refugee crisis in the Mediterranean that is facing Europe, Croatia's Foreign and European Affairs Minister Vesna Pusic said opening the tenth Croatia Forum in Dubrovnik.
This year's topic of international development cooperation is relatively new to Croatia which recognises both sides - until a few years ago it was a recipient and today it offers development assistance, said Pusic.
"We believe that development cooperation is one of the foundations and one of the key instruments in international relations," Pusic underscored.
With reference to the current situation with the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, there is often mention that the problem should be solved where it originates, she said. "We believe that intensified and perhaps redefined development cooperation is one of the key ways to begin solving that problem where it originates.
She said that development assistance involves and can be promoted by donors that need not necessarily be large countries, who offer large donations but also small donors.
Croatia has an initiative known as "In defence of small donors" because it considers that sometimes even small amounts of money or a project can mean a lot, she said.
Twenty-five foreign ministers, NATO secretary-general and three European commissioners are attending this year's Croatia Forum “New Development Policy – Towards Partnership and a Common Vision” as well as local senior government officials.
This traditional Forum represents a sort of prelude to the forthcoming International Conference on Financing for Development and the United Nations Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda.
The partnership between small and large donors, sustainable development, the challenges of terrorism – are just some of the issues which will be dealt with during the three-day meeting by numerous senior officials from Croatia and abroad, as well as respectable panelists and moderators, including first-time participants from African countries.
As in previous years, the spotlight of this year’s conference will be on current issues. International development policy is an important instrument for the establishment of cooperation on a global level and the Croatia Forum is an opportunity to discuss key foreign policy challenges jeopardizing development, such as conflicts and terrorism, and a chance to discuss how development cooperation can contribute to overcoming these challenges.
(Hina) sp