ZAGREB, December 18, 2018 – Croatian Foreign Minister Marija Pejčinović Burić attended in Podgorica on Monday and Tuesday a meeting of the US-Adriatic Charter (A5), an initiative for Euro-Atlantic cooperation in Southeast Europe, which discussed security challenges and future cooperation in the region, the ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.
The meeting was attended by ministers from the A5 member states (Croatia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, and the US) and observers (Kosovo, Slovenia, and Serbia).
Participants confirmed the significance of the US-Adriatic Charter as a framework for dialogue and cooperation which results in long term political stabilisation and stronger security in the region, the ministry said.
The ministers discussed cooperation between the A5 member states in NATO’s Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan and ways to enhance cooperation in the period ahead.
In her address, Pejčinović Burić underlined the importance of NATO’s open door policy, saying Croatia supports the Euro-Atlantic integration of Southeast European countries as a way to achieve long-term stability and security. She said EU enlargement would be one of Croatia’s priorities during its presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2020.
Speaking of current global and regional security challenges such as terrorism, hybrid threats and irregular migration, she said A5 represented an added value to NATO and EU efforts to respond to those challenges.
Participants adopted a joint declaration on this year’s achievements and goals for the period ahead. The conference marked the end of Montenegro’s A5 presidency this year. Albania will preside in 2019.
While in Montenegro, Pejčinović Burić met with representatives of local Croats. The meeting underlined the importance of their presence in the political and public spheres as well as of nurturing the Croatian identity, the ministry said, adding that the minister underlined that support to Croats outside Croatia was an important government priority.
More news on the regional cooperation can be found in our Politics section.
