{"id":16235,"date":"2022-04-04T15:12:59","date_gmt":"2022-04-04T13:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/?post_type=news&p=16235"},"modified":"2022-04-04T15:13:02","modified_gmt":"2022-04-04T13:13:02","slug":"president-milanovic-at-u-s-croatia-forum-after-russias-aggression-against-ukraine-it-is-time-for-serbia-to-decide-whether-it-is-part-of-the-west-or-not","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-at-u-s-croatia-forum-after-russias-aggression-against-ukraine-it-is-time-for-serbia-to-decide-whether-it-is-part-of-the-west-or-not\/","title":{"rendered":"President Milanovi\u0107 at U.S. \u2013 Croatia Forum: After Russia\u2019s aggression against Ukraine, it is time for Serbia to decide whether it is part of the West or not"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 attended the opening of the \u201cU.S. \u2013 Croatia Forum: A 21st <\/sup>Century Partnership,\u201d which was organized on the occasion of the 30th<\/sup> anniversary of ties between Croatia and the United States. President Milanovi\u0107 told the participants of the U.S. \u2013 Croatia Forum that it is being held with an emphasis on the economy, but that the economy is only one of \u201cthose important segments that determine, direct, open and limit Croatia \u2013 U.S. cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Addressing the forum, President Milanovi\u0107 first spoke about the events that occurred thirty years ago when the United States recognized the Republic of Croatia. \u201cWe were at war, at that time Croatia was desperate, striving for better \u2013 the West, the political and cultural West \u2013 to which we have always known that we belong materially, emotionally and intuitively,\u201d said President Milanovi\u0107, noting that the U.S. was the only country that provided strong support to Croatia. \u201cWhen we needed military aid back then, the Americans did not provide it directly as they are doing it today, rightly and for good reason. They provided logistical, intellectual, organizational support. This is an experience that Croatia had gone through, and no European country went through it except Bosnia and Herzegovina and today, in an even worse way, Ukraine. Our enemy was an enemy that we are trying to turn into a good neighbour and friend the entire time. That is Serbia, and in the end perhaps we will succeed,\u201d the President added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

President Milanovi\u0107 said that Croatia had made enormous progress in the last thirty years. \u201cCroatia has made progress compared to where it was in 1992. Croatia did, however, emerge from the exhausted system of self-governing socialist economy as one of the most developed transition countries. That was short-lived. As part of the Yugoslav economy, Croatia by all parameters had the status of an upper-middle developed economy of that time. However, we are still at that level today,\u201d said President Milanovi\u0107, reiterating that together with Germany, the U.S. was Croatia\u2019s only real partner \u201cthat did not cause problems but helped and continues to help.\u201d The military aid we receive from the U.S. is significant, the President added, emphasizing that it is the only military aid we are receiving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking about the war in Ukraine, President Milanovi\u0107 said that Ukraine is facing what Croatia went through thirty years ago and underscored that we know from experience that two truly liberal democracies have never been at war. That is \u201cbecause they have predictable, boring and restrictive decision-making systems where one person cannot decide everything. In autocratic states the decision-making processes are different and the danger of conflict exists there. Democracies do not go to war with each other,\u201d the President explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, President Milanovi\u0107 expressed his view that Croatia entered NATO \u201cbecause of the U.S. alone, for help and protection \u2013 that\u2019s why we\u2019re still there today.\u201d In reference to the recent extraordinary NATO Summit, the President warned that no one had mentioned the Western Balkans, i.e. Serbia and Kosovo, in the context of the threat looming from the east.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSerbia is Croatia\u2019s neighbour, a very important one, a quite deadly one and vice versa. Serbia is a member of the Partnership for Peace, a country that has for years been negotiating full membership with the European Union. However, after these recent events and Russia\u2019s aggression against Ukraine, isn\u2019t it time to ask them \u2013 gentlemen, what do you want, where do you actually belong; now is the time to decide whether you are part of the West or to get lost in confusion. No one mentioned it, as if that country does not exist. It exists for us. Nobody mentioned Kosovo, people there long for NATO like Croats thirty years ago,\u201d said President Milanovi\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reference to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the President said that \u201cits well-kept order, the rights and content of all its constituent peoples is the recipe for a normal life.\u201d He explained why he rejected the proposal to sign a letter of the Central and Eastern European heads of state calling for promptly granting Ukraine candidate status. \u201cI said \u2013 OK, as long as Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo are included. Romania refused to sign because of Moldova and at one point the whole project fell apart,\u201d concluded President Milanovi\u0107.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two-day \u201cU.S. \u2013 Croatia Forum: A 21st<\/sup> Century Partnership\u201c, which was organized by the Faculty of Economics and Business of the University of Zagreb, the U.S. Embassy in Croatia, the American Chamber of Commerce in Croatia and the Croatian Office for Creativity and Innovation, will bring together senior U.S. and Croatian government officials, political and business leaders, scientists and prominent individuals in the field of innovation and start-ups to address issues related to energy, climate change, trade, investment and common security priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the opening of the forum apart from President Milanovi\u0107 were U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (via video message) and U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Marisa Lago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Head of the Cabinet of the President of the Republic Bartol \u0160imuni\u0107, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Defence and National Security Dragan Lozan\u010di\u0107, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Foreign and European Policy Neven Pelicari\u0107, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Human Rights and Civil Society Melita Muli\u0107 and Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for the Economy Velibor Ma\u010dki\u0107 were alongside President Milanovi\u0107 at the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n \n <\/a>\n \n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia \/ Dario Andri\u0161ek<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 attended the opening of the \u201cU.S. \u2013 Croatia Forum: A 21st Century Partnership,\u201d which was organized on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of ties between Croatia and the United States. President Milanovi\u0107 told the participants of the U.S. \u2013 Croatia Forum that it is being held with an emphasis on the economy, but that the economy is only one of \u201cthose important segments that determine, direct, open and limit Croatia \u2013 U.S. cooperation.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":16229,"template":"","news-cat":[12],"class_list":["post-16235","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news-cat-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nPresident Milanovi\u0107 at U.S. \u2013 Croatia Forum: After Russia\u2019s aggression against Ukraine, it is time for Serbia to decide whether it is part of the West or not - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.predsjednik.hr\/en\/news\/president-milanovic-at-u-s-croatia-forum-after-russias-aggression-against-ukraine-it-is-time-for-serbia-to-decide-whether-it-is-part-of-the-west-or-not\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"President Milanovi\u0107 at U.S. \u2013 Croatia Forum: After Russia\u2019s aggression against Ukraine, it is time for Serbia to decide whether it is part of the West or not - President of the Republic of Croatia - Zoran Milanovi\u0107\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The President of the Republic Zoran Milanovi\u0107 attended the opening of the \u201cU.S. \u2013 Croatia Forum: A 21st Century Partnership,\u201d which was organized on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of ties between Croatia and the United States. 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