Croatia can guarantee energy security to its neighbours and is poised to become a significant regional energy hub thanks to its LNG terminal on the island of Krk, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Thursday.

“Croatia is in a position to be a serious regional hub, thanks to its LNG terminal and substantial investments in new, expanded gas pipelines that will be adapted for hydrogen transport. The use of the Adriatic oil pipeline and enhanced connectivity with our neighbours provide Croatia with a tremendous opportunity to play a much more significant role in energy connectivity,” Plenkovic said upon arriving at the 4th summit of the European Political Community (EPC).

Summit of European Political Community hosted by new British PM

The main topics of this summit, hosted by the new British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, are security in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, combating illegal migration, interference by foreign powers in democratic processes, and energy security.

“These are very carefully chosen topics that are very important to all of us,” Plenkovic said, adding that the summit is also an opportunity for the new British Prime Minister Starmer to strengthen ties with European Union partners. “There is clearly a new willingness in London to invigorate and restructure relations with the European Union,” he said.

He said that by building the LNG terminal Croatia has ended a four-decades-long debate about the energy sector and ensured its energy independence, while the completion of capacity expansions and new pipelines by 2026 will secure energy independence for Croatia’s neighbours as well.

Migration

Speaking about migration, Plenkovic said that no other issue has dramatically shifted the political balance in many countries over the past eight years as the crisis caused by arrivals of irregular migrants in Europe.

“Now we have an opportunity to discuss how to intensify the fight against smugglers and illegal migrations and stop this influx that is destabilising Europe,” Plenkovic said.

The summit begins with a plenary session, followed by discussions organised around three round table debates: migration, energy and connectivity, and defence and ensuring democracy.

Plenkovic to attend round table debate on energy connectivity

Plenkovic will participate in the round table debate on energy connectivity.

For the first time, representatives of NATO, OSCE, and the Council of Europe are participating in the EPC summit.

Participants will be received by British King Charles III at the end of the summit.

The European Political Community was established after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as a form of cooperation among EU member states and other European countries, excluding Russia and Belarus.

The European Political Community (EPC) is a forum that brings together 47 European countries to coordinate responses to common issues and challenges.

The summit is being held at Blenheim Palace, a monumental country house near Oxford built in the first half of the 18th century, where the legendary British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was born, and which has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987.

The choice of the summit venue is not accidental. The British government emphasises that it is the birthplace of Winston Churchill, who “opposed aggression on European soil in World War II and was an inspiration for the establishment of the Council of Europe.”