Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković met with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on Friday in Tirana, on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit, and extended an invitation for him to visit Croatia.
“I believe he will come to Croatia soon. The invitation is open, and we’ll see what date will be agreed,” said Plenković after the conclusion of the summit, which brings together 47 European countries.
In 2014, Starmer represented Croatia before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as a lawyer in the genocide lawsuit against Serbia relating to the wars of the 1990s.
“I think it’s very positive to have someone leading such a major country who has a strong connection to Croatia, knows us well, understands us, and is familiar with our recent history,” Plenković added.
Plenković noted that he discussed with Starmer the upcoming summit between the United Kingdom and European Union leaders, scheduled for Monday in London. He emphasized that following the UK’s departure from the EU, it’s important to establish a framework for continued cooperation, particularly in the field of defense.
“Croatia supports an agreement between the United Kingdom and the European Union in the area of defense. We believe that the United Kingdom—along with France, the only nuclear power on European soil aside from Russia—is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and has played an important role in the development of European defense and security policy,” said Plenković.