BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 14. The European Union
has underinvested in its defense capabilities, the former Croatian
President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said during a panel discussion
on “The Path to Peace” at the 12th Global Baku Forum, Trend report.
“We wanted to be a global player, but we did not make sure that
we had the capabilities and resources to do so,” she said.
Grabar-Kitarović noted that now is a turning point for the
EU.
“There are a lot of discussions among European allies about
building their capabilities, increasing investments in defense and
defense capacities,” the former president said.
At the same time, its forecasts regarding the increase of the
EU’s defense capacities are not optimistic.
The official emphasized that the EU must change everything from
the procurement system, which prohibits most financial institutions
from investing in the military, even in dual-use technologies, to
specific plans and what kind of capabilities the union needs. She
noted that when a specific plan is presented, the response tends to
be: “It’s too risky.”
The XII Global Baku Forum will be held from March 13 through 15
this year under the motto “Rethinking the World Order: Turning
Challenges into Opportunities”.
The Forum is organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International
Center.
The event will discuss key global issues such as geopolitical
change, multilateralism, the global health crisis, world recovery
and regional stability, COP29, and others.
The Forum will bring together more than 300 world leaders from
over 60 countries, including more than 25 former presidents, more
than 15 former prime ministers, about 10 heads of UN and
international agencies, and more than 25 former ministers and
deputy ministers.