Free Membership
Newsletter
Help
Subscribe
Sign In
Search
January 31, 2023
All times are Vienna time
Search
Subscribe
Sign In
Countries:
Africa »
Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burundi Côte d'Ivoire Ethiopia Ghana Guinea Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Mali Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda South Africa Sudan Tanzania The Congo Togo Tunisia Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe
Asia-Pacific »
Afghanistan Australia Bangladesh Cambodia China Hong Kong SAR India Indonesia Japan Laos Malaysia Mongolia Myanmar Nepal New Zealand North Korea (DPRK) Pakistan Philippines Singapore South Korea Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Vietnam
Central- & Eastern Europe »
Albania Bosnia & Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Rep. Estonia Georgia Hungary Kosovo Latvia Lithuania North Macedonia Montenegro Poland Romania Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Ukraine Western Balkans
Middle East »
Egypt Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Kuwait Lebanon Oman Palestinian Territories Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria Turkey United Arab Emirates Yemen
Russia & CIS »
Russia Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan Moldova Turkmenistan Uzbekistan
The Americas »
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Canada Central America Chile Colombia Cuba Ecuador Mexico Panama Paraguay Peru The Caribbean Uruguay Venezuela
United States
Western Europe »
Belgium Cyprus Denmark Finland France Germany Greece Iceland Ireland Italy Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malta Monaco Norway Portugal Scotland Spain Sweden Switzerland The Netherlands United Kingdom Vatican City
Business:
Economy
Economic Policies
Investing in Austria
Securities
Earnings
Foreign Trade
Deals
Legal Issues
More Business & Economics+
Politics:
Domestic
Brussels
International
Diplomacy
Companies:
Professional Services »
Banks Financial Services Real Estate Insurance Other Services
Energy »
Oil & Gas Utilities Renewables Mining
Industrials »
Construction Automotive Industrial Goods Basic Resources Chemicals Other Industrials
Transport »
Airlines & Airports Shipping Rail Road
Retail & Consumer
Health Care
Technology
Telecoms
Media
Tourism
Other
Organizations:
Diplomatic Missions
International Organizations
Other
People:
Executives
Politicians
Diplomats
Entrepreneurs
Other
Lifestyle & Travel:
Culture
Travel
Personal Real Estate
Health
Food & Drink
Luxury Goods
More+
More+:
Events
Photo Galleries
Videos
Classifieds
Work & Careers
More+
Home
Countries
Business
Politics
Diplomacy
Companies
Organizations
People
Lifestyle & Travel
More+
Africa
Algeria
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burundi
Côte d'Ivoire
Ethiopia
Ghana
Guinea
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Mali
Mauritius
Morocco
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
The Congo
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Asia-Pacific
Afghanistan
Australia
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
Hong Kong SAR
India
Indonesia
Japan
Laos
Malaysia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nepal
New Zealand
North Korea (DPRK)
Pakistan
Philippines
Singapore
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Thailand
Vietnam
Central- & Eastern Europe
Albania
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Rep.
Estonia
Georgia
Hungary
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
North Macedonia
Montenegro
Poland
Romania
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
Ukraine
Western Balkans
Middle East
Egypt
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Oman
Palestinian Territories
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Turkey
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Russia & CIS
Russia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyzstan
Moldova
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
The Americas
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Central America
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Ecuador
Mexico
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
The Caribbean
Uruguay
Venezuela
United States
Western Europe
Belgium
Cyprus
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Norway
Portugal
Scotland
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
The Netherlands
United Kingdom
Vatican City
Economy
Economic Policies
Investing in Austria
Securities
Earnings
Foreign Trade
Deals
Legal Issues
More Business & Economics+
Domestic
Brussels
International
Professional Services
Banks
Financial Services
Real Estate
Insurance
Other Services
Energy
Oil & Gas
Utilities
Renewables
Mining
Industrials
Construction
Automotive
Industrial Goods
Basic Resources
Chemicals
Other Industrials
Transport
Airlines & Airports
Shipping
Rail
Road
Retail & Consumer
Health Care
Technology
Telecoms
Media
Tourism
Other
Diplomatic Missions
International Organizations
Other
Executives
Politicians
Diplomats
Entrepreneurs
Other
Culture
Travel
Personal Real Estate
Health
Food & Drink
Luxury Goods
More+
Events
Photo Galleries
Videos
Classifieds
Work & Careers
More+
Latest News
Ukrainian War
Covid in Austria
USA in Vienna
UK in Vienna
Russia in Vienna
China in Vienna
Iran in Vienna
UN
OSCE
IAEA
OPEC
Sponsored Content
Tweet
Share

Trilateral Presidential Meeting Between the Presidents of Austria, Croatia and Slovenia

People › Other ♦ Published: June 5, 2022; 22:16 ♦ (Vindobona)
Sponsored Content

Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen met with his counterparts from Croatia and Slovenia, Zoran Milanovic and Borut Pahor, in Croatia for the traditional triennial meeting. The focus is on the Euro-Atlantic integration of the Western Balkans, as well as the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine.

The Presidents of Slovenia, Borut Pahor (l.), Croatia, Zoran Milanovic (m.) and Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen (r.). / Picture: © www.bundespraesident.at / Carina Karlovits / HBF

Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, as this year's host, has invited his counterparts to the Brijuni Islands in Istria. The talks will focus on the war in Ukraine as well as the situation in the countries of the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe and their EU perspective.

The war in Ukraine and the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries were the focus of the meeting of the heads of state of Austria, Croatia and Slovenia on the Brijuni Islands in Croatia on Friday.

The heads of state demonstrated unity in condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine, but at the same time powerlessness to find solutions to end the war soon.

Sponsored Content

In his address, President Van der Bellen emphasized that the trilateral had become part of the tradition.

"The war has been raging for 100 days today, and we all hope that it will not continue for 100 days. But we don't know how to speed it up," Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen said at a joint press conference with his two counterparts, Borut Pahor and Zoran Milanovic.

The three presidents discussed aid measures to help Ukraine and sanctions against Russia, Alexander Van der Bellen said, adding that EU countries had so far shown "remarkable unity" on sanctions. "It is important, also vis-à-vis the aggressor, that we do not allow ourselves to be divided in the European Union in this situation," he stressed.

"We condemn Russian aggression, but everything else is out of our hands," said the host of this year's annual meeting, Croatia's President Milanovic. "We cannot change anything, only hope that the war will end as soon as possible," he said. His Slovenian counterpart, Pahor, currently sees "no possibility of finding a way for a diplomatic solution to the conflict. At least not at this moment," Borut Pahor said.

In the war situation in Ukraine, one should not lose sight of the countries of the Western Balkans, President Van der Bellen warned.

The EU accession processes of these countries, which according to President Van der Bellen have been dragging on for too long, must be put on a new footing and the EU enlargement policy in the Western Balkans must be redesigned.

Referring to the sluggish accession process of the Western Balkan countries, he said that there was "too much small talk" in the EU. "All six countries of the Western Balkans belong in the European Union," President Van der Bellen stressed.

Slovenia's president stressed that he has been pointing out for years that the EU enlargement of the Western Balkans is a geopolitical issue.

This has now become evident with the war in Ukraine, Borut Pahor said, referring to the fact that Ukraine's EU membership was not really in focus until the war. "A European perspective is the only lasting assurance of peace and security in the Western Balkans," President Pahor stressed, warning that delays in enlargement could open the way for nationalist politics.

Regarding Bosnia-Herzegovina, Borut Pahor argues that the country should be granted candidate status immediately and could meet the necessary conditions later.

Sponsored Content

The EU should do that "in good faith," the president of Slovenia said. "Bosnia and Herzegovina could thus get out of the vicious circle without any progress and without status," Borut Pahor expressed his conviction.

Thank you, President Milanović @Ured_PRH, dear Zoran, for hosting this year's trilateral meeting on the beautiful Brijuni Islands. The relations between Croatia and Austria are very dense and friendly – the best foundation to build on. (vdb) pic.twitter.com/z2haGCPYXk

— A. Van der Bellen (@vanderbellen) June 2, 2022

Alexander Van der Bellen welcomed Pahor's initiative. "We have to come up with new ideas on how to accelerate the rapprochement with the EU, otherwise frustration will take hold there, not only among politicians but also among the affected population. It will be even harder to correct that then," the president warned.

"I've been talking about this for years - the Western Balkans, but Bosnia and Herzegovina in particular, is slipping out of focus," the Croatian president also stressed, criticizing the fact that the majority of EU heads of state and government have "no idea" about the region. The task of Croatian diplomacy is to point out the problems, Milanovic said.

President Milanovic gave his support to the countries of the Western Balkans for the continuation of the negotiation process that has already begun in the case of Serbia and Montenegro, as well as for the start of negotiations between Northern Macedonia and Albania.

In this context, he defended his position, with which he has repeatedly caused a stir, such as his demand that Sweden and Finland block NATO accession until the problem with electoral reform in Bosnia is solved. "Everything I do has a clear goal. Not to defy someone, for example, Sweden and Finland, but to help those who cannot get help in any other way," he said. "Ignorance and lack of interest among those who can make a difference hurts me," Zoran Milanovic said.

Presidential Chancellery of Austria

President of the Republic of Croatia

President of the Republic of Slovenia

Copyright © Vindobona. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from Vindobona and redistribute by email or post to the web.
Sponsored Content
Fast News Search
Related News
Austrian Leadership Program 2022 Underlines Friendship Between Austria and Western Balkans (May 19, 2022)
How China's Global Infrastructure Strategy Undermines European Integration in the Western Balkans and Beyond (May 19, 2022)
U.S. and UK Sanction Individuals in the Balkans (April 13, 2022)
Security in the Western Balkans: North Macedonia's EU Accession as Stronghold against Putin's Aggression (April 1, 2022)
Western Balkans: First Foreign Trip of the New Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Linhart (October 15, 2021)
Read More
Western Balkans, Slovenia, Serbia, Russo-Ukrainian War, Russia Sanctions, Presidential Chancellery of Austria, President of the Republic of Slovenia, President of the Republic of Croatia, North Macedonia, NATO, Montenegro, Kosovo, EU European Union, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borut Pahor, Alexander Van der Bellen, Albania, Zoran Milanovic
Featured
See latest Vindobona Newsletter
Sign up now for full site access and to read a limited amount of free premium articles per month:
Sign Up
×
Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content
©1995-2023 Vindobona
Contact
Help
Imprint
Press
Careers
Partners
Terms & Conditions
Site Security
Privacy
Sitemap
Advertise
About Us