Plenković defends Government's foreign policy after Croatia misses Bastille Day military parade

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković has defended the Government's foreign and security policy following Croatia's absence from this week's Bastille Day military parade in Paris, blaming the decision on the ongoing dispute with President Zoran Milanović.

Speaking at the opening of Thursday's cabinet session, Plenković reflected on France's National Day celebrations, which he attended earlier this week. Members of the Croatian Armed Forces did not participate in the traditional parade after the latest disagreement between the Government and President Milanović, who is also commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.

Instead, Croatia was represented by the Lučko Anti-Terrorist Unit, which marched alongside military and security representatives from France's European Union and NATO allies.

Plenković said Croatia had still been represented where it belongs, alongside its Western partners, and expressed hope that members of the Croatian Armed Forces would take part in similar events in the future.

The Prime Minister also discussed the meeting of the Coalition of the Willing held in Paris, where participating countries reaffirmed their support for Ukraine. He said the coalition views Russia's invasion as a threat not only to Ukraine but to European security as a whole.

Plenković criticised Croatia's absence from the coalition's military activities, arguing that it leaves the Croatian Armed Forces excluded from discussions on Europe's most pressing security issues.

"The Croatian Army and representatives of the General Staff are, therefore, not participating in meetings of the military segment of the coalition of the willing. As a result they lack information about cooperation, training, exercises, and all of the most relevant issues pertaining to European security and European defense. They are simply losing step with the other countries involved," Plenković said.

The Prime Minister again rejected suggestions that participation in the coalition's military work would require Croatia to send troops to Ukraine. He said no such proposal has ever been made and stressed that countries can support Ukraine in a variety of ways without deploying soldiers.

Plenković argued that the Government's approach is consistent with Croatia's long-standing foreign policy, while accusing President Milanović of departing from that course.

"In any case, I would say that government's policy reflects Croatia's traditional foreign policy, and that it is the policy of those, especially the president, that runs contrary to everything that Croatia has been doing all these years. That is why government will continue to maintain Croatia's rank and credibility in the international community, and not allow Croatia to be internationally discredited. Because everything that president is doing in this regard will lead to exactly that, and the government, which conducts both domestic and foreign policy, does not intend to allow that," he said.