Croatia will continue to support Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations and will help it with the peaceful reintegration of its occupied territories, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said during a visit to Kiev on Monday.
PM Plenkovic gave a lecture at the National University of Kiev-Mohyla Academy on Croatia's European and Euro-Atlantic experience, saying that Croatia and Ukraine had a lot in common and that the history of their friendship had deep roots.
Prime Minister reiterated that Croatia, as a member of the European Union and NATO, fully supported Ukraine on its European path.
Croatia is fully committed to providing political and practical support to Ukraine on its EU path. We are ready to share our knowledge and experience, the Croatian PM said.
He noted that Ukraine was the first member of the United Nations to recognise Croatia as an independent state on 11 December 1991, adding that as a mark of gratitude one of the streets in Zagreb was named after Ukraine and a monument commemorating the 19th century Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko was erected there.
Prime Minister Plenkovic said that both countries had been victims of brutal military aggression which violated their territorial integrity and for that reason Croatian experience could be of use to Ukraine.
Croatia supports the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and the implementation of the policy of non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea, Plenkovic said.
The peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube region is the best model in the long term for the reintegration of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea into Ukraine. The peaceful reintegration of Eastern Slavonia was one of the most successful UN peace projects and a positive precedent for the restoration of peace in the former Yugoslavia, as well as for future missions worldwide, he added.
Croatia considers the stability of Ukraine to be of key importance for European and global security and will support all diplomatic efforts to achieve a peaceful and viable solution, PM said.
He added that the implementation of the Minsk agreement was key to stabilising the situation and the best way to achieve a comprehensive political solution to the Ukraine crisis.
Today the EU is facing new challenges, such as the migrant crisis, populism, Euro-scepticism and various external challenges, Plenkovic said, noting that history has shown that peace and prosperity can be achieved only on the principles of solidarity and unity.
That is why we need a strong Europe with a common vision and common action, open to the world and the future. It is the kind of a Union that will accept Ukraine based on its achievements and values that we share, the Croatian prime minister concluded.
Text: Hina