Croatia will support new package of sanctions for Russia and the opening of the first negotiating cluster for Ukraine

Ahead of the European Council meeting, in a statement to the press in Brussels, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced the key topics that the leaders of the European Union will discuss today, and also referred to the European People's Party summit meeting held immediately before.

The EPP, he said, discussed all the current, from yesterday's NATO summit in The Hague to the topics on today's European Council agenda, such as the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, the discussion on the Western Balkans, which he personally initiated, topics related to competitiveness and expectations from the new Multiannual Financial Framework.
 
At the European Council meeting, he added, he expects a constructive discussion and the adoption of conclusions.
 
Regarding the new package of sanctions against Russia, Prime Minister Plenković stressed that Croatia supports it. Today's discussion will see whether the positions of Hungary and Slovakia that oppose them are the same as those previously expressed, he added, recalling that modalities for adopting these packages have been found in previous similar situations.
 
When asked what he expects from the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the Prime Minister reiterated that peace should be just and sustainable. Although it is important to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible, the final peace agreement must not reward the aggressor in terms of occupied territories.
 
When it comes to the Middle East and Gaza, he believes that the proposed conclusions are very good. However, he added that as far as trade relations with Israel are concerned, no decision is planned today regarding that part, which would then possibly imply the suspension of some segment in contractual relations. In any case, this is a topic that will be discussed later at ministerial and lower levels.
 
Asked whether there is any chance that Ukraine will open the first negotiating cluster with the European Union, the Prime Minister said that Hungary's position on this issue is quite clear, while everyone else, including Croatia, is in favor of opening it. This will be discussed this afternoon.
 
Croatia can reach NATO's goal of allocating 5 percent of GDP to defense by 2035, and not at the expense of other expenditures
 
He also referred to NATO's decision to allocate 5 percent of GDP to defense by 2035.
 
He recalled that Croatia has fulfilled NATO's previous pledge of 2 percent of expenditures, and as much as 30 percent of that goes to the modernization of defense forces.
 
Regardless of NATO's decision, he added, the plan is for Croatia to reach 3 percent of defense expenditures by 2030, and increases in defense expenditures are constant.
 
He explained that these 5 percent mean 3.5 percent for defense, and 1.5 percent for investments related to defense, that can also be used for civilian purposes, such as civil protection, communications, and infrastructure.
 
With its economic growth, which last year was one of the highest in the European Union, Croatia can reach this goal by 2035.
 
And this is not at the expense of other allocations, such as social and other, he emphasized, recalling that, for example, 2.7 billion euros are currently being invested in education.
 
It is the same with investments in healthcare, and social benefits are higher in Croatia today than ever, as are average pensions, he added.
 
"Our policy is balanced, and economic growth also ensures greater investments. Of course, it is important that these investments are not blind, but that we also invest in our industrial and technological bases in defense, and if we have to purchase something from other manufacturers, that the prices are reasonable," he said.
 
Asked what he thought about the US trade threats to Spain and whether they could affect trade negotiations with the European Union, Prime Minister Plenković said that these negotiations are ongoing.
 
"I am sure that we will find a solution," he said and added that trade policy is the exclusive competence of the European Union, so the agreement that is reached will apply to Spain as well.

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