The partnership between Estonia and Croatia is increasingly developing, and foreign policy positions are converging

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met today with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, Kristen Michal, who is on an official visit to Croatia. After a ceremonial welcome in front of the Banski Dvori, the two prime ministers met, followed by a meeting with delegations, and Plenković and Michal reported on the topics of the discussion at a joint press conference. After the program at the Banski Dvori, Plenković and Michal participated in the Croatian-Estonian Business Forum, which was held at the National and University Library.

Bilateral relations are very good, and the foreign policy positions of Croatia and Estonia converge, especially when it comes to important security issues, said Prime Minister Plenković.
 
Both Croatia and Estonia have used their membership in the European Union for better and faster development of their economies and a higher quality of life for their citizens, he said.
 
A special focus of today's talks, he reported, was on the most current global issues.
 
Cooperation in the field of defense
 
First, they referred to the recent summit meetings of the European Council and NATO, at which new commitments were made on defense spending.
 
In this context, he recalled that Croatia supported defense spending of 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, with an additional 1.5 percent for defense-related activities that can also be used for civilian purposes.
 
Croatia currently spends about 2.1 percent, and the Croatian government's plan, regardless of NATO commitments, is to raise that amount to 3 percent by 2030.
 
Organized by the Croatian Chamber of Economy, the Croatian-Estonian Business Forum will be held today at the National and University Library, and Prime Minister Plenković said that it will focus specifically on cooperation in the defense sector. In addition to the cluster of Croatian companies, the forum will be attended by a dozen of the most important Estonian companies in the defense sector, he added.
 
This meeting will be an upgrade to the Agreement on Mutual Cooperation of Defense Industries, signed in 2021.
 
These agreements between our companies are particularly important in the context of new funds that will be available to member states through the SAFE program at the European Union level, which will enable greater investments in defense capabilities, said Prime Minister Plenković.
 
Energy cooperation and the Three Seas Initiative
 
They also discussed energy topics, especially investments in critical energy infrastructure.
 
In this context, the Prime Minister mentioned the LNG terminal on the island of Krk, which has enabled the diversification of gas supply. Increasing its capacity from 3.1 to 6.1 billion cubic meters of gas will provide enough gas for the needs of Croatian households and industry, but also create the conditions for Croatia to be a strong regional gas supply hub.
 
Both Croatia and Estonia are participants in the Three Seas Initiative, said Prime Minister Plenković
 
He recalled that Croatia took over the chairmanship of the Initiative this year, which will end with a major summit and economic forum in April next year, the main three topics of which will be strengthening infrastructure, strengthening energy cooperation and digital transformation.
 
Strong support for Ukraine
 
They also discussed support for Ukraine in the past three years since the beginning of Russian aggression.
 
In this context, he stated that Croatia has so far sent 13 packages of military aid to Ukraine, and a 14th package is being prepared.
 
We want to strengthen Ukraine's capacities so that it can resist Russian aggression, which is a violation of international law, all the principles of good neighborliness and everything on which the international order rests, he said.
 
We stand for peace efforts that would lead to a just peace, which of course implies non-recognition of illegally occupied and annexed Ukrainian regions, he added.
 
Enlargement of the European Union
 
When it comes to the enlargement of the European Union, Prime Minister Plenković said that both Croatia and Estonia are countries that support it.
 
He also referred to the negotiations on the new EU Multiannual Framework. Both Croatia and Estonia, as countries that are friends of cohesion will continue to advocate for this policy to remain one of the levers for the fastest possible achievement of development goals.
 
They also discussed tourism, and Prime Minister Plenković pointed out that the visits of Estonian guests are made easier by two direct air routes between Tallinn and Split and Tallinn and Dubrovnik.
 
We want to further improve the existing trade exchange and the presence of our companies on the Croatian and Estonian markets, he concluded.
 
Michal: We are strengthening ties between our countries and our people
 
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal said that cooperation between Estonia and Croatia is strong, both within NATO and the European Union, as well as on a bilateral level.
 
That is why I am here today, with our business delegation, to strengthen relations between our countries and our people, he said.
 
Supporting NATO's decision to increase defense spending, he said that Estonia would lead by example and allocate 5.4 percent of its GDP starting next year. This is a significant burden, he added, but also necessary due to the growing Russian threat to Europe.
 
Strengthening European security also means strengthening the European defense industry and we need to focus on both, he said. He emphasized the key role of the European Union in terms of more flexible budget and deficit rules and new sources of financing. In the next EU budget, he added, defense financing must be one of the key priorities.
 
Regarding bilateral cooperation, Prime Minister Michal said that Estonia sees great opportunities for expanding defense cooperation. Estonian companies offer innovative solutions, for example, when it comes to surveillance systems.
 
The partnership between Estonia and Croatia is developing more and more, he said.
 
When it comes to European security, the security of Ukraine is extremely important, he said. He thanked Croatia for its strong support to Ukraine and added that it is necessary to take more decisive actions because Russian cruelty will not stop if they are not forced to do so. This means a strong 18th package of sanctions and additional military aid to Ukraine.
 
In the long term, NATO membership remains the best guarantee for Ukraine's security, and a large and experienced Ukrainian military would make NATO more secure as well.
 
Estonia and Croatia strongly support the expansion of the European Union, Michal said, to Ukraine and Moldova as well as to the countries of the Western Balkans, advocating for the opening of the first negotiation cluster for Ukraine and Moldova.
 
Another topic that is important for both Estonia and Croatia is the protection of the external borders of NATO and the EU. This, he added, is a common interest that requires stronger support from the EU.
 
Estonia's strong support for Croatia's OECD membership
 
Also, he added, we need to continue working together to reduce administrative barriers for our business people. Simpler rules, he said, will strengthen European competitiveness. He stressed that it is necessary to remain competitive while wisely implementing the green transition.
 
He thanked Croatia for its participation in NATO's Baltic battle groups.
 
He expressed Estonia's strong support for Croatia on its path towards OECD membership.
 
Our economic ties are developing rapidly, especially in the defense sector, said the Estonian Prime Minister, adding that he is sure that after today's Business Forum they will further deepen.

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