"This framework of political cooperation is extremely important, first of all, for peace, stability and economic, cultural and transport cooperation, but also an opportunity to jointly try to find solutions for the issues of urban development of all of us from the Mediterranean countries", said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
Prime Minister Plenković gave opening remarks at the third Ministerial conference of the Union for the Mediterranean on sustainable urban development.
He emphasized Croatia's commitment to Mediterranean and Adriatic policies and expressed great satisfaction that, after six years, the conference of urban planning ministers is being held in Croatia.
"This is an opportunity to jointly try to find solutions to the urban development issues of all of us from the countries that surround the shores of the Mediterranean," said Plenković, stressing the importance of this framework of political cooperation for peace, stability, economic, cultural and transport cooperation.
"Croatia is both a Central European and Mediterranean country and a Danube country. It has 1,200 islands and islets, almost 6,000 km of coastline, thus we have the third longest coastline in the Mediterranean - and we want to position our country strongly in the framework of Mediterranean cooperation ", the Prime Minister stated the reasons for Croatia's accession to the EU Med.
The Mediterranean - the cradle of numerous civilizations, a unique area of exchange and cooperation - affected by climate change
He mentioned the historical context of the Mediterranean as the cradle of numerous civilizations, a unique area of exchange and cooperation between Europe, Asia and Africa, and emphasized what we have in common at the moment - the impact of climate change, the process of sea pollution and the unsustainable use of natural resources.
"Therefore, the development of sustainable urban planning is one of the key answers to these threats and risks," said Plenković.
The fact that already today 56 percent of the world's population lives in urban areas, and it is expected that by 2050 as many as two thirds of humanity will live in urban areas, sets the promotion of the idea of sustainable urbanism as an imperative, not just a political goal of the Union for the Mediterranean.
The Prime Minister believes that the cooperation of the Union for the Mediterranean is closely related to the UN program for sustainable urban development until 2030.
It is also related to the overall context of European green policies that permeate both the cohesion policy and the policy of the next generation EU instrument, where the dominance of green and digital is the main framework of long-term development.
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