WEBVTT 00:00:06.827 --> 00:00:09.490 Dear guests, now approaching the podium 00:00:09.611 --> 00:00:12.356 are Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob 00:00:12.517 --> 00:00:16.869 and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. 00:00:34.362 --> 00:00:37.328 Freedom! Freedom! 00:00:38.009 --> 00:00:40.975 That's nice to hear. -Hello. 00:00:41.130 --> 00:00:43.889 I'm your fan. -Thank you. 00:00:51.310 --> 00:00:55.323 We now invite the Prime Ministers to sign the agreement 00:00:55.444 --> 00:00:59.196 between the Slovenian and the Croatian governments 00:00:59.343 --> 00:01:02.376 on the construction, operation, and upkeep 00:01:02.497 --> 00:01:06.490 of existing bridges on the state border. 00:01:06.610 --> 00:01:09.416 Please proceed. 00:02:18.210 --> 00:02:21.183 Thank you to the signatories. 00:02:30.670 --> 00:02:33.383 This concludes the signing ceremony. 00:02:33.497 --> 00:02:38.950 We'll now hear from both Prime Ministers. The floor is yours. 00:02:43.443 --> 00:02:49.354 Dear Prime Minister Plenković, Andrej, 00:02:49.475 --> 00:02:56.010 it's my great pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister 00:02:56.163 --> 00:03:00.976 of a friendly state, and I daresay, a personal friend of mine. 00:03:01.130 --> 00:03:05.315 I'm especially pleased because at the beginning of my term, 00:03:05.436 --> 00:03:08.963 when we first met, we agreed that we wouldn't attempt 00:03:09.150 --> 00:03:14.536 to solve the world's problems or our biggest challenges, 00:03:14.670 --> 00:03:19.243 but that we would instead focus on attainable goals, 00:03:19.397 --> 00:03:22.730 ones with specific positive effects 00:03:22.857 --> 00:03:27.423 on the coexistence of people on both sides of the border. 00:03:27.557 --> 00:03:31.676 That's why I'm personally grateful 00:03:31.830 --> 00:03:35.760 for your role, friendship, and trust, 00:03:35.903 --> 00:03:39.950 which enables us to sign an agreement 00:03:40.110 --> 00:03:44.143 that I'm sure will have a positive impact 00:03:44.290 --> 00:03:48.363 on residents along the entire land border. 00:03:48.950 --> 00:03:52.936 The 23 structures that need upkeep, renovation, 00:03:53.070 --> 00:03:57.523 and completion are intended to accomplish just that: 00:03:57.644 --> 00:04:01.296 to ensure that the border connects instead of dividing, 00:04:01.417 --> 00:04:06.183 that the populations can live together in harmony, 00:04:06.317 --> 00:04:10.616 and that beautiful, positive life stories 00:04:10.737 --> 00:04:15.470 can be woven across the border, on both sides. 00:04:15.597 --> 00:04:18.376 I'm sincerely grateful for that. 00:04:18.570 --> 00:04:22.610 During our talks today, the Prime Minister and I 00:04:22.757 --> 00:04:27.709 discussed many topics. I'd like to mention three of them. 00:04:27.877 --> 00:04:31.496 We exchanged our views regarding the upcoming 00:04:31.630 --> 00:04:35.003 NATO summit in the Hague. 00:04:35.124 --> 00:04:38.823 We both applaud the flexibility that was exhibited 00:04:38.930 --> 00:04:41.623 when defining defense expenditures. 00:04:41.770 --> 00:04:45.616 Only that way can each member state contribute 00:04:45.730 --> 00:04:49.716 to the security and defense readiness of the entire alliance 00:04:49.876 --> 00:04:53.516 in its own way, when we are sufficiently flexible 00:04:53.670 --> 00:04:58.909 with how we ensure security, resilience, and defense. 00:04:59.083 --> 00:05:03.123 I informed the Prime Minister 00:05:03.270 --> 00:05:06.662 about the planned and ongoing activities regarding 00:05:06.783 --> 00:05:11.049 the decision about the construction 00:05:11.210 --> 00:05:14.603 the second unit at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant. 00:05:14.757 --> 00:05:20.629 I understand that Croatia shares our interest 00:05:20.757 --> 00:05:25.376 in participating in the preparation phase of the project 00:05:25.497 --> 00:05:29.603 as an equal partner and a partner with whom 00:05:29.724 --> 00:05:33.755 we have a positive experience. The talks will take place 00:05:33.876 --> 00:05:37.849 in the months and years ahead. After all, the decision 00:05:37.990 --> 00:05:41.703 is several years in the future, so we have enough time. 00:05:41.830 --> 00:05:49.577 We also discussed how we could 00:05:49.698 --> 00:05:53.389 improve the spirit of cooperation, and I'd like to thank 00:05:53.543 --> 00:05:56.383 the two ministers for this step. 00:05:56.523 --> 00:06:02.649 I'd like to see the trust that we've seen in this field 00:06:02.730 --> 00:06:05.656 spill over into other fields 00:06:05.810 --> 00:06:09.009 and help the ministers of both governments 00:06:09.150 --> 00:06:15.056 to realize similar projects in the future, 00:06:15.177 --> 00:06:19.089 not necessarily when pressured by the two Prime Ministers 00:06:19.223 --> 00:06:22.535 but also independently, as in this case. 00:06:22.697 --> 00:06:28.916 I look forward to the development of our relations with great optimism, 00:06:29.077 --> 00:06:32.763 primarily because I believe that our common victories 00:06:32.923 --> 00:06:37.563 help us establish bonds, and even the big challenges 00:06:37.690 --> 00:06:42.743 of the world we live in become easier to tackle. 00:06:42.883 --> 00:06:47.449 Thank you again and welcome to this side of the border, 00:06:47.650 --> 00:06:52.163 to beautiful Vinica, which is also a pleasant surprise for me. 00:06:59.443 --> 00:07:05.450 Hello. First, I'd like to thank the Slovenian Prime Minister, 00:07:05.590 --> 00:07:09.917 Mr. Golob, for his warm welcome here in Vinica 00:07:10.043 --> 00:07:13.030 and this wonderful castle. 00:07:13.297 --> 00:07:16.829 We signed a very good agreement 00:07:16.983 --> 00:07:23.710 thanks to Ms. Bratušek and Mr. Butković. 00:07:23.823 --> 00:07:27.390 We signed an agreement that will make it easier 00:07:27.511 --> 00:07:30.764 for us to build and maintain bridges that connect 00:07:30.885 --> 00:07:36.409 Croatia and Slovenia, our nations, and our populations, 00:07:36.537 --> 00:07:41.163 for the benefit of people in the border areas. 00:07:41.317 --> 00:07:46.049 That's why I feel this is one of those small 00:07:46.170 --> 00:07:49.263 but vital operative steps that enable 00:07:49.410 --> 00:07:55.096 our countries and our nations to get even closer. 00:07:55.262 --> 00:07:59.856 Together we'll invest in bridges between the two countries. 00:08:00.023 --> 00:08:04.449 Each visit I make to Slovenia is an opportunity for me 00:08:04.577 --> 00:08:07.649 to reflect on our bilateral relations, 00:08:07.770 --> 00:08:12.709 which are characterized by a high level of trust 00:08:12.857 --> 00:08:16.849 and partnership. The relations are focused 00:08:17.023 --> 00:08:21.196 on things that unite us, rather than on the topics 00:08:21.337 --> 00:08:26.850 that have created tensions between political parties in the past. 00:08:26.990 --> 00:08:30.283 We haven't seen that in years. 00:08:30.397 --> 00:08:36.343 We have cooperation and trust, which we're working hard to achieve, 00:08:36.537 --> 00:08:40.103 not just at bilateral meetings like this, 00:08:40.257 --> 00:08:44.964 but also at other meetings where we discuss common issues. 00:08:45.163 --> 00:08:51.683 Slovenia is one of Croatia's most important trading partners, 00:08:51.803 --> 00:08:55.156 with a volume of €7.7 billion last year, 00:08:55.277 --> 00:09:00.956 which shows us how economically significant this is. 00:09:01.097 --> 00:09:05.269 We highly value the large number 00:09:05.417 --> 00:09:10.244 of Slovenian tourists who visit the Adriatic Coast 00:09:10.370 --> 00:09:12.390 and do so regularly. 00:09:12.577 --> 00:09:17.895 Many of you also have real estate in Croatia, 00:09:18.016 --> 00:09:25.835 which connects us even further and builds lasting bonds. 00:09:25.956 --> 00:09:29.856 We have data that shows that this trend will continue 00:09:30.043 --> 00:09:32.050 during the summer season. 00:09:32.197 --> 00:09:38.989 It's important that we discussed 00:09:39.130 --> 00:09:44.229 energy security in a broader context 00:09:44.370 --> 00:09:47.683 and with the world situation in mind. 00:09:47.817 --> 00:09:52.343 Our discussion focused on the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, 00:09:52.503 --> 00:09:58.629 which could also take care of Croatia's energy needs, 00:09:58.750 --> 00:10:04.229 not just for ordinary people, but also for industry. 00:10:04.350 --> 00:10:10.723 We understand Slovenia's ambitions regarding the new unit 00:10:10.877 --> 00:10:14.663 of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant. From the beginning, 00:10:14.797 --> 00:10:21.102 Croatia has expressed its interest in continuing its collaboration. 00:10:21.223 --> 00:10:26.456 For us, the best option would be the current model, 00:10:26.577 --> 00:10:29.736 but we know this is a new situation. 00:10:29.917 --> 00:10:33.523 This way, we can provide our population 00:10:33.650 --> 00:10:39.516 with a supply of electricity for at least 100 years. 00:10:39.637 --> 00:10:45.789 As for topics other than the economy and energy, 00:10:45.937 --> 00:10:50.049 cross-border traffic is subject 00:10:50.170 --> 00:10:55.763 to great flexibility from the Slovenian police at entry 00:10:55.897 --> 00:11:00.790 after Italy also introduced light-touch controls 00:11:00.911 --> 00:11:03.963 on the Slovenian-Italian border. 00:11:04.084 --> 00:11:08.763 At this time, we're not seeing any major problems, 00:11:08.884 --> 00:11:12.242 and it's important to us that this goes on 00:11:12.363 --> 00:11:14.850 during the tourist season. 00:11:14.997 --> 00:11:19.597 We're trying to prevent illegal migration. 00:11:19.783 --> 00:11:27.736 Last week, Minister Božinović hosted Commissioner Brunner, 00:11:27.903 --> 00:11:31.356 and they visited all the critical points 00:11:31.497 --> 00:11:35.603 where migrants enter Croatia from Bosnia-Herzegovina. 00:11:35.736 --> 00:11:39.556 Of course, we're protecting the Croatian border 00:11:39.690 --> 00:11:42.243 from illegal migration. 00:11:42.370 --> 00:11:48.056 Slovenian police and their institutions also see 00:11:48.217 --> 00:11:51.310 the effort we're making, and the cooperation 00:11:51.450 --> 00:11:53.409 will continue. 00:11:53.530 --> 00:11:59.843 We also discussed the NATO summit, 00:11:59.983 --> 00:12:02.836 which will take place in the Netherlands, 00:12:02.977 --> 00:12:07.470 and the European Council meeting in Brussels. 00:12:07.590 --> 00:12:11.195 This is the issue of defense expenditures, 00:12:11.316 --> 00:12:13.235 a priority issue. 00:12:13.356 --> 00:12:21.070 We were in favor of increased defense spending, 00:12:21.210 --> 00:12:24.470 more than two percent. 00:12:24.650 --> 00:12:28.049 Of those two percent, 30 percent will be spent 00:12:28.210 --> 00:12:31.577 on modernization and new goals 00:12:31.703 --> 00:12:35.670 that will be defined at the summit. 00:12:35.863 --> 00:12:41.476 Of course, this includes activities 00:12:41.597 --> 00:12:47.056 with both civilian and military purposes. 00:12:47.243 --> 00:12:52.288 The deadline will be defined at that meeting, 00:12:52.410 --> 00:12:59.056 but it'll be beyond 2030, 00:12:59.176 --> 00:13:06.556 so we'll have plenty of time, and based on Croatia's economy 00:13:06.723 --> 00:13:10.509 and our investment in the armed forces, 00:13:10.630 --> 00:13:13.870 it's realistic for us to reach those goals. 00:13:13.944 --> 00:13:16.194 Regarding the other matters, 00:13:16.315 --> 00:13:19.565 of course we will address the protection 00:13:19.686 --> 00:13:25.634 of Slovenian minorities in Croatia and Croatian minorities in Slovenia. 00:13:25.755 --> 00:13:29.672 We are still appealing for Croatians in Slovenia 00:13:29.793 --> 00:13:33.199 to be awarded the status of minority, 00:13:33.320 --> 00:13:36.320 as that is an important matter to us. 00:13:36.588 --> 00:13:41.560 We will also discuss a joint commission 00:13:41.681 --> 00:13:47.231 that would deal with military grave sites. 00:13:47.352 --> 00:13:50.643 We also wish to move forward with this 00:13:51.826 --> 00:13:56.160 as there are still families who do not know 00:13:56.366 --> 00:14:02.785 where their family members are buried, 00:14:02.906 --> 00:14:06.159 by which we mean victims of post-war killings. 00:14:06.280 --> 00:14:10.829 Of course, we also wish to hasten the economic, political 00:14:10.949 --> 00:14:14.531 and other cooperation between Croatia and Slovenia. 00:14:14.652 --> 00:14:18.088 Thank you once again for inviting me to Vinica. 00:14:24.050 --> 00:14:27.000 Adrijan Bakič, RTV. 00:14:28.168 --> 00:14:30.400 Prime Ministers, you have spoken 00:14:30.521 --> 00:14:35.167 of two important summits this week, NATO and the European Council, 00:14:35.288 --> 00:14:39.146 taking place in very tense international circumstances. 00:14:39.267 --> 00:14:42.434 Do you believe that the American attack 00:14:42.555 --> 00:14:46.138 on Iranian nuclear facilities was justified? 00:14:46.259 --> 00:14:48.689 And given that president Trump said 00:14:48.810 --> 00:14:52.321 that US efforts in the Middle East are futile, 00:14:52.442 --> 00:14:56.044 do you expect a more decisive response from the EU? 00:14:56.165 --> 00:14:58.776 What message are you taking to Brussels? 00:14:58.973 --> 00:15:03.840 One more question about the Krško nuclear power plant, Mr Plenković. 00:15:03.961 --> 00:15:07.628 Did you discuss that as a matter of principle 00:15:07.749 --> 00:15:12.686 or is the Croatian interest in the project now ensured? Thank you. 00:15:17.464 --> 00:15:24.040 The situation in the Middle East was not the subject of these talks, 00:15:24.875 --> 00:15:28.520 so I can only speak for the Government of Slovenia. 00:15:28.641 --> 00:15:33.641 Our position is very clear, for us, the only option is peace. 00:15:35.506 --> 00:15:39.423 Sadly, escalation usually doesn't lead to peace. 00:15:39.823 --> 00:15:47.480 We have called on all leaders to refrain from further hostilities, 00:15:48.078 --> 00:15:54.051 to strive for peace and thus demonstrate their words, 00:15:54.172 --> 00:15:57.089 with which they are suing for peace, 00:15:57.210 --> 00:16:00.140 but actions sometimes do not follow words. 00:16:01.228 --> 00:16:05.301 Time will tell which one is sincere in their intentions. 00:16:05.593 --> 00:16:09.760 Sadly, the actions of mainly the Israeli government 00:16:09.881 --> 00:16:13.440 are not filling us with confidence in their words, 00:16:13.561 --> 00:16:17.426 as the situation in Gaza has deteriorated significantly 00:16:17.547 --> 00:16:19.762 after a truce was already called 00:16:19.883 --> 00:16:24.322 and we were hoping the situation in the region would calm down. 00:16:26.017 --> 00:16:31.862 I believe that there will be lengthy discussions in Brussels 00:16:32.473 --> 00:16:37.306 regarding the role of Europe in calming the situation down. 00:16:38.006 --> 00:16:44.753 I hope that Europe will recognise the things it can do itself, 00:16:45.496 --> 00:16:51.663 not deal with things where we cannot actually do anything. 00:16:52.623 --> 00:16:58.456 We also expect the discussion about the EU-Israel Association Agreement 00:16:58.577 --> 00:17:03.151 to flow in this manner and that we will have a serious talk 00:17:03.272 --> 00:17:06.633 about the implementation or rather the violation 00:17:06.754 --> 00:17:09.837 of Article 2 of the Association Agreement. 00:17:10.430 --> 00:17:15.842 But, again, we did not discuss that and we may have differing opinions, 00:17:15.963 --> 00:17:19.545 this is the position of the Government of Slovenia. 00:17:23.141 --> 00:17:29.480 The position of the Government of Croatia regarding Krško is clear. 00:17:29.601 --> 00:17:36.291 We are pleased with the talks 00:17:36.412 --> 00:17:44.280 and with having been co-owners of the Krško power plant for 50 years. 00:17:44.759 --> 00:17:50.092 Slovenia is now dealing with this process, which will be followed 00:17:50.213 --> 00:17:55.960 by political and economic consultations and analyses. 00:17:56.081 --> 00:18:00.998 Croatia would like to participate, but for a different model 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:07.128 it is not enough that we agree in principle, 00:18:07.249 --> 00:18:15.240 because nuclear energy has the lowest emissions of CO2 00:18:15.786 --> 00:18:21.440 and harms nature and the population the least. 00:18:21.561 --> 00:18:24.880 We would like to continue 00:18:25.089 --> 00:18:33.040 with such a good and efficient use of electricity. 00:18:33.441 --> 00:18:37.878 Regarding the NATO meeting 00:18:37.999 --> 00:18:42.102 and the security situation in the Middle East in general, 00:18:42.278 --> 00:18:48.545 Croatia and Slovenia are very concerned. 00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:52.125 This is not a sudden development. 00:18:52.331 --> 00:18:57.078 The Russian aggression toward Ukraine is continuing. 00:18:58.197 --> 00:19:03.517 The war since October 2023 between Israel and Hamas 00:19:03.638 --> 00:19:06.221 has gone through several phases, 00:19:06.451 --> 00:19:12.483 including the Lebanese Hezbollah 00:19:12.678 --> 00:19:14.713 and the Yemeni Houthis, 00:19:14.834 --> 00:19:18.317 and now there is a war between Israel and Iran. 00:19:18.438 --> 00:19:23.615 Naturally, the Croatian Government is very concerned, 00:19:23.827 --> 00:19:26.177 which we also expressed 00:19:26.298 --> 00:19:32.393 following the US attack on the nuclear facilities in Iran. 00:19:32.514 --> 00:19:37.696 We believe that any and all escalations must be avoided, 00:19:37.817 --> 00:19:42.921 as they can bring about various consequences, 00:19:43.042 --> 00:19:45.905 such as rising prices of energy products, 00:19:46.026 --> 00:19:48.680 which you can read about in the media. 00:19:48.801 --> 00:19:55.436 This, of course, affects the economy and the population. 00:19:55.557 --> 00:20:01.183 Consequences can also include new waves of immigration, 00:20:01.304 --> 00:20:07.148 which will udoubtedly end up in European countries as well. 00:20:07.358 --> 00:20:15.021 This, in turn, can have a whole range of security implications, 00:20:15.227 --> 00:20:19.153 including terrorist threats and attacks, 00:20:19.281 --> 00:20:23.309 which can be carried out anywhere in the world. 00:20:23.430 --> 00:20:28.860 This would mean a deterioration of our citizens' security. 00:20:28.981 --> 00:20:32.915 The position of the government of Croatia is very clear. 00:20:33.937 --> 00:20:40.360 We are concerned and appealing to all sides 00:20:40.481 --> 00:20:48.240 to refrain from hostility and to de-escalate these attacks. 00:20:48.361 --> 00:20:52.097 We will also discuss this at the European Council. 00:20:52.255 --> 00:20:57.209 Political conclusions will be formulated 00:20:57.330 --> 00:21:01.423 by the time of our meeting on Thursday evening. 00:21:02.675 --> 00:21:07.008 Tamara Marković, a question for Prime Minister Golob. 00:21:07.129 --> 00:21:11.687 Regarding the EU's stance toward the war in Gaza, 00:21:11.808 --> 00:21:15.765 do you think there will be a majority vote 00:21:15.913 --> 00:21:20.330 for a revision of the EU-Israel Association Agreement? 00:21:20.451 --> 00:21:26.847 Mr. Plenković, when that vote is initiated, 00:21:27.201 --> 00:21:29.585 what will Croatia vote for? 00:21:29.779 --> 00:21:35.447 Slovenia will try to persuade the other Member States 00:21:35.739 --> 00:21:40.842 that are still hesitant to support the revision, 00:21:41.571 --> 00:21:45.520 at least in the part concerning the trade agreement. 00:21:45.641 --> 00:21:48.974 Right now, the outcome is not that important, 00:21:49.172 --> 00:21:52.339 what matters is that we insist on this 00:21:53.443 --> 00:21:56.600 and that we do not let ourselves be swayed 00:21:56.721 --> 00:21:59.989 if we do not have a sufficient majority today. 00:22:00.217 --> 00:22:02.467 We will persist until we do 00:22:02.614 --> 00:22:07.876 or until hostilites, the attacks on Gaza 00:22:07.997 --> 00:22:12.708 and, above all, the humanitarian blockade are brough to an end. 00:22:13.495 --> 00:22:17.647 Sadly, this is not a solitary act, but a continuous one, 00:22:17.768 --> 00:22:22.935 and our pressure on decision-making must be equally continuous. 00:22:24.155 --> 00:22:32.108 I would also like to point out a case of exemplary cooperation. 00:22:33.386 --> 00:22:38.469 Prime Minister Plenković highlighted the excellent cooperation 00:22:38.590 --> 00:22:41.173 regarding the security situation 00:22:41.575 --> 00:22:45.658 between the police forces of Slovenia and Croatia. 00:22:46.180 --> 00:22:50.113 That is one of the things that come with trust. 00:22:50.656 --> 00:22:53.745 The fact that we are now conducting 00:22:54.345 --> 00:22:59.095 in-depth monitoring of the Balkan migration routes jointly 00:22:59.222 --> 00:23:03.050 is one of the main reasons we are no longer facing 00:23:03.171 --> 00:23:08.994 such difficulties with migrant crossings 00:23:09.115 --> 00:23:11.320 as we did in the past. 00:23:12.528 --> 00:23:16.041 It is entirely possible that, in the coming years, 00:23:16.162 --> 00:23:18.747 this will prove to be key in managing 00:23:18.868 --> 00:23:22.663 potential future migration flows from the Middle East. 00:23:22.784 --> 00:23:27.967 This is why such preventive actions at all levels are so important, 00:23:28.284 --> 00:23:31.840 to prevent threats or risks to the future. 00:23:35.688 --> 00:23:42.066 Of course, I agree with what Prime Minister Golob just said. 00:23:42.187 --> 00:23:47.526 Regarding discussions about Israel and trade relations, 00:23:47.780 --> 00:23:53.592 there was no decision-making process, 00:23:53.713 --> 00:23:59.046 just consultations that the media portrayed a little differently. 00:24:00.276 --> 00:24:07.007 Regarding the current discussion, 00:24:07.128 --> 00:24:11.628 Ministers of Foreign Affairs are in Brussels right now, 00:24:11.749 --> 00:24:19.158 discussing Article 2. Croatia's position 00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:25.360 is that any civilian casualties must be prevented, 00:24:25.838 --> 00:24:32.091 especially the things that the children in Gaza experienced. 00:24:32.284 --> 00:24:38.985 We must prevent civilian casualties 00:24:39.406 --> 00:24:46.720 and we must be mindful of how this can be implemented in real life. 00:24:46.841 --> 00:24:54.000 A few weeks ago, we adopted a decision on humanitarian aid. 00:24:54.127 --> 00:24:58.120 In Gaza, we are working with organisations 00:24:58.294 --> 00:25:01.026 engaged in humanitarian aid 00:25:01.147 --> 00:25:05.200 and the Croatian Government will support 00:25:05.571 --> 00:25:11.471 all measures necessary to prevent civilian casualties. 00:25:12.907 --> 00:25:16.266 Thank you, that concludes this press conference.