President Milanović at Madrid Summit: Finland’s and Sweden’s Membership in NATO now in the Hands of the Croatian Parliament
“Finland and Sweden received an invitation, we’ll see what the future holds, one supposes that everything will be fine, but one never knows”, the President of the Republic Milanović stated today in Madrid after participating in the meeting of heads of state and government of NATO members which included the two mentioned states’ applicatIon for membership in NATO.
During the NATO Summit, President Milanović also held a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö. Asked by journalists whether he supported Finland’s and Sweden’s membership in the Alliance, President Milanović replied that the membership of those states in NATO “depends on the Croatian Parliament, it’s the exclusive responsibility of the Croatian members of Parliament”.
“I have reiterated a number of times in a telephone conversation with the Finnish president that there is nothing personal as far as I’m concerned. These are states that meet high criteria. What Turkey is asking of them is a lot. In principle, I’m more on Sweden’s side than on Turkey’s on this issue. We’ll see how this will unfold, whether there will be a monitoring of these criteria, it’s hard to say. My top priority is Croatia and its interests, how I see and interpret them, although I may be mistaken. For some time now this has been out of my reach, out of my power and the political instruments that are available to me, it’s now on the conscience of Croatian MPs”, President Milanović added.
He went on to say that at the meeting of NATO heads of state and government he discussed the problem of Bosnia and Herzegovina noting that “it’s a security problem, minor in comparison with the one that the northern and Baltic states are facing, nevertheless our security problem. This makes life in the neighbourhood unstable and bad for us, and which endangers at least half a million of EU citizens, Dayton rules are being violated. It’s a matter of Croatia’s pride and credibility, and I want this matter settled. Who heard me, heard me, I can’t do much more about it”, the Croatian President told journalists.
He further stated that there are two kinds of people at the NATO Summit. “I’m referring to statesmen who know little or nothing. Nobody is working with them and their associates. It’s known who can work, and who has been taking the time to acquaint them with the problem Croatia has been living with and facing. Those who know nothing are a minor problem, they’re the majority, because one can work with them, talk to them, answer their questions. A few are narrow-minded in their prejudices, which will be hard to change, but one has to work on that. And in some situations, such as the one at the European Council meeting in Brussels – when Ukraine and Moldova were absolutely unconditionally granted candidate status, and Bosnia and Herzegovina the status quo – that’s a situation in which a state uses veto rights and eventually everyone would have received candidate status. BiH received empty promises,” President Milanović underlined.
“Had others done their job, had they been active, aggressive in presenting their views, the states would behave differently”, the President added, and remarked that nobody from the Croatian government was present in Madrid at ministerial meetings.
“Somebody should be present at these meetings, they don’t have to be in my company, but somebody has to represent the government, that’s their duty. Who will attend the meetings instead of them? The Ambassador? And what if I say that the ambassador’s presence is required with me? That’s what happens with such behaviour. It’s very irresponsible, amateur”, the President said.
In the remainder of the day President Milanović will participate in a meeting of heads of state and government of NATO members with the invited heads of state and government that aren’t members: Australia, Republic of Finland, Georgia, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand and the Kingdom of Sweden, as well as the European Council President and the European Commission President.
On Tuesday evening, on the first day of the NATO Summit, President Milanović and his wife Sanja Musić Milanović together with all the heads of state and government attended a gala dinner hosted by Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia in the Royal Palace. The President told reporters that during the dinner there was talk of the war in Ukraine, but that he also talked about the situation in BiH with a number of heads of state and government.
The Summit of NATO heads of state and government is a regular summit of the Alliance, and the Kingdom of Spain is the host on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of its membership in NATO.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan, NATO, Casa de S.M. el Rey“