Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has urged the European Union (EU) to focus more on the instability in the Western Balkans, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Speaking ahead of the EU summit in Brussels, Plenković emphasized the need to observe the situation in Southeastern Europe, particularly regarding the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the situation in Serbia.
“There are so many global events right now, and it’s time for some of that attention to be focused on a region that has been very volatile over the past 35 years,” Plenković stated.
He referred to the ongoing political crisis in Bosnia, fueled by separatist movements within the Republika Srpska, after its leader, Milorad Dodik, was sentenced to a year in prison for ignoring decisions made by the High Representative.
Plenković also mentioned the ongoing protests in Serbia following the tragic death of 15 people from the collapse of a concrete shelter at the Novi Sad railway station in November. He expressed understanding that Serbia may be looking for problems elsewhere, but emphasized that the recent defense cooperation memorandum signed by Croatia, Kosovo, and Albania was not intended to cause conflict.
“This is a memorandum for joint cooperation, it has no hostile character,” Plenković said in response to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s remarks. Vučić had previously criticized the agreement, claiming it opened a “race for arms” and violated the 1996 regional arms control agreement. Plenković insisted that the memorandum is meant to support the reform efforts of Kosovo and Albania and facilitate the exchange of experiences.
