Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said today that Croatia and Japan have identical positions in condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine and Hamas' attack on Israel, as well as in supporting efforts to prevent further civilian casualties in Gaza, a ceasefire and working towards a two-state solution, the HINA news agency reported for BTA.
“The positions of the Croatian and Japanese governments are practically identical in condemning Russian aggression and Hamas' attack on Israel“, Prime Minister Plenković told the media after a lecture at Keio University in Tokyo on relations between Japan and the European Union.
Plenković added that both countries agree on the need to prevent further civilian casualties in Gaza and from creating conditions for a ceasefire and a peace agreement that would lead to “what has been our consistent policy – a two-state solution“.
Earlier today, Plenković met with his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba, who reaffirmed Japan's clear support for Ukraine.
The Croatian Prime Minister said that Japan is concerned about the continuation of Russian aggression and its implications for security in the region.
“These events cannot be viewed in isolation. I also said in my lecture: if this brutal Russian aggression against Ukraine, which has taken hundreds of thousands of lives, ends with territorial concessions, it will give the green light that today it is Ukraine, and tomorrow it will certainly be someone else“, warned Plenković.
He stressed that Japan shares the same logic in considering this crisis as it did with the war between Israel and Hamas.
“They (Japan) are also part of the international community, sending very strong messages to Israel to stop the civilian casualties and the military operations that endanger the civilian population, children and women in Gaza. They want a ceasefire as soon as possible and a comprehensive peace solution,” he said.
“Listening to him was like listening to myself two weeks ago when I spoke to Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar,“ Plenkovic remarked to Ishiba.
The Croatian prime minister is on an official visit to Japan until Sunday, during which he will attend the celebration of Croatia's national holiday at Expo 2025 in Osaka on Sunday. He is accompanied by Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar, Tourism and Sports Minister Tonči Glavina, and State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and National Commissioner for Expo 2025 Zdenko Lucić.