FM: Croatia Has Done Its Utmost in Zagreb Quake Response

ZAGREB, June 16, 2020 – Croatia has accomplished the set priorities while chairing the EU during COVID-19 and done the most it could in response to the Zagreb earthquake, Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman said on Tuesday.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the presidency has been held at a physical distance, but communication channels were retained, he said at a ceremony two weeks before the end of Croatia’s rotating EU presidency.

“We held everything we set out in the Croatian priorities but in a different way. Not one priority that was defined in the presidency programme has gone unmentioned,” he said.

“The biggest achievements are the opening of accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania and the Zagreb Summit with Western Balkan countries,” which have been given the message that they have a European perspective and a future in the EU, he added.

Asked by the press if Croatia failed to do more to help the people of Zagreb and its environs after the March 22 earthquake, Grlic Radman said Croatia was successful. “Croatia did its utmost,” he said, adding that “the European Union hasn’t forgotten Croatia.”

Croatia is perceived as a developed country and it can count on the solidarity of the member states in such situations, he said. “We managed to apply for the (EU Solidarity) Fund.”

“The damage estimate is €11.5 billion. That had to be established and supported by credible documents,” he added.

The EU responded by sending humanitarian and other aid, the EU is a family which has appropriate mechanisms and funds, he said, adding that a donor conference was not held for Zagreb as they were envisaged for third countries, as was done for Albania after the earthquake in late 2019.

The day after it was officially confirmed that the US is withdrawing 9,500 of its troops from Germany, because it is not contributing at least 2% of its GDP for defence as promised, the minister reiterated that he and his EU counterparts spoke with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

“Transatlantic peace has no alternative,” he said, reiterating that Croatia had demonstrated its commitment to peace, including transatlantic peace, as “peace is indivisible.”

“That should all be considered in view of strengthening the defence forces of NATO member states,” said Grlic Radman.