Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman participated in the 18th Bled Strategic Forum on August 28 and 29, 2023. Upon his arrival in Bled, Minister Grlić Radman met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, Tanja Fajon.

The forum gathered prominent world leaders and experts from various sectors with the view of deepening discussions on key global issues.

Minister Grlić Radman participated as a panellist in the ministerial panel on “European Union: Decision Maker?”, where he participated in discussions about the role of the European Union in making key decisions.

“Croatia strongly supports the enlargement of the European Union as a pledge of the stability of Europe as a whole. It is very important to have the Western Balkans constantly and regularly on the agenda of the EU, and to show strong commitment to support the countries of the Western Balkans on their way to the EU. This is even more important in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which undoubtedly marks a turning point for the EU. The war in Ukraine forces all actors to take a clear political path and make bold decisions. The EU expects the same from the Western Balkans. Alignment with the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, including sanctions against Russia, is becoming more and more important,” said Minister Grlić Radman.

“We can expect the start of accession negotiations between BiH and the EU, if not by the end of this year, which would be best, then certainly at the beginning of next year,” Minister Grlić Radman said in a statement to the members of the press at the Bled Strategic Forum. The minister said that this was Croatia’s proposal at the last Stabilisation and Association Council in July, and that Croatia expects positive reports from the European Commission on the progress of the countries of the Western Balkans.

On the sidelines of the Forum, Minister Grlić Radman held a series of bilateral meetings.