EU Maritime Security Conference: Croatia must communicate better

Participants in the EU Maritime Security Conference in Zagreb on Thursday noted that everyone benefits from peace at sea, and that in order to facilitate this Croatia must communicate better with other countries.

Participants in the conference also advised Croatia to invest in new technologies and involve industry, academia and civil society in the sector, even though it is not currently under direct threat of attack.

Denmark's special envoy for maritime security Nicolai Ruge emphasized that the sea is the lifeblood of society and the basis of the global economy, placing special emphasis on the transport of energy, data and civilian goods. He therefore characterized it as a place of great opportunity, but also of immense vulnerability, and noted that no country or institution can defend itself alone.

Denmark, which holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union from July until the end of the year, organized a conference in Zagreb on Maritime Security and the Protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure, at which representatives of the current EU Council trio of Poland, Cyprus and Denmark, as well as Croatia, warned of the risks posed by the use of marine resources.

According to the EU's 2023 Maritime Security Strategy more than 80% of global trade is carried out by sea, around two-thirds of the world's oil and gas are extracted at sea or transported by sea, and almost 99% of the world's data traffic is transmitted via submarine cables.

The conference was held under the auspices of the Croatian Representation of the European Commission.

Source: HRT