President Milanović Is Calling on the Government of the Republic of Croatia to Initiate the Procedure to Recognize Palestine in the Croatian Parliament
The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović received today the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Palestine Varsen Aghabekian, who is on an official visit to Zagreb.
At the meeting in the Office of the President of the Republic, they discussed the situation in Gaza, which for months, and especially in recent days, has been exposed to brutal attacks by the Israeli army. President Milanović has most strongly condemned the Israeli army’s attacks on civilians in Gaza and the announced action of military seizure and occupation of Gaza. President Milanović indicated that the occupation of Gaza cannot be justified under any circumstances. As the constitutional co-creator of Croatian foreign policy, he conveyed his view to Minister Aghabekian that the only just solution for the war in Gaza is the recognition of the two states: Israel and Palestine.
“Croatia should recognize Palestine as a step towards ending the war and the human catastrophe in Gaza. Recognizing the rights of the Palestinian people to their own state is the only way to establish lasting peace in the Middle East”, President Milanović told Minister Aghabekian at the meeting. President Milanović announced that, in the scope of his constitutional powers, he will advocate strongly for Croatia to recognize Palestine as soon as possible and is calling upon the Government of the Republic of Croatia to initiate the procedure to recognize Palestine in the Croatian Parliament.
Attending the meeting in the Office of the President of the Republic alongside the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Palestine Varsen Aghabekian were the Representative of Palestine to the Republic of Croatia, with residence in Vienna, Salahaldin H. M. Abdalshafi, the Director of the Directorate for Europe in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine Adel Atieh, the Head of the Cabinet of the Minister Ameed Abdalrahim and the Minister Counsellor in the Representative Office of Palestine in Vienna Ihab AlGhoul.
Alongside President Milanović were the Head of the Office of the President of the Republic Orsat Miljenić, the representative of the Republic of Croatia to Palestine Tomislav Bošnjak, the Head of the Cabinet of the President Bartol Šimunić, the Adviser to the President of the Republic for Foreign and European Policy Neven Pelicarić and the Assistant Adviser to the President of the Republic for Foreign and European Policy Ivan Mutavdžić.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Tomislav Bušljeta