Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, during the opening of the Ukraine-Southeast Europe summit in Dubrovnik, assured continued support for Ukraine, which is suffering from Russian aggression.
“Today I want to focus on three points. The first is Croatia’s continued assistance to Ukraine, the second is the relations of Southeast European countries with Ukraine, and the third is why Ukraine, which is suffering from Russian aggression, matters to the world and how we behave in the international community,” he said during his opening remarks at the Ukraine – Southeast Europe summit in Dubrovnik on Wednesday.
Prime Minister pointed out that the total amount of aid to Croatia since February 2022 amounted to about 300 million euros. In addition, Croatia has received about 30 thousand Ukrainian refugees, as well as Ukrainian wounded soldiers, who are being rehabilitated in centers for veterans and specialized hospitals.
“In this context, President Zelenski and I signed an agreement on long-term cooperation and support between Croatia and Ukraine, which lays the foundation for our relations for many years to come, and its content is in line with what we believe we can best contribute,” Plenkovic emphasized.
According to him, “it is a natural reflex of Croatia, as a country that in the past survived aggression and war with much less international assistance, to stand today next to a country that defends the same values of freedom, democracy and peace.”
“We believe this is the right thing to do, and I am proud that today we are all gathered to reaffirm our joint support for Ukraine,” Plenkovic said.
The prime minister noted that Ukraine supported Croatia in 1991, becoming one of the first countries to recognize Croatia internationally, its independence, and provided the country with military equipment and weapons.
“Today Croatia supports Ukraine with equal strength and assistance,” Plenkovic emphasized.
