On 29 January, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal addressed the members of the Croatian Sabor, expressing gratitude for the support of our country and noting the high level of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
"We appreciate the assistance that Croatia has been providing us since the first days of the full-scale invasion. We are grateful to the Croatian Parliament for passing landmark and historic decisions for Ukraine. The next day after the start of the full-scale invasion, the Declaration on Ukraine was adopted here, and later Croatian parliamentarians recognised the Holodomor of 1932-33 as genocide of the Ukrainian people,’ the Head of the Ukrainian Government noted and added that in 2022, the First Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform had been held in Zagreb.
In his speech, Denys Shmyhal also stressed that Ukraine could become one of the guarantors of Europe's security and a flagship in countering the russian threat.
"During the years of war, we have gained invaluable experience. Our defence forces fight in accordance with NATO standards. The capacities of the Ukrainian defence industry have increased 6-fold in the past year alone. We have built a drone production infrastructure almost from scratch,’ said Denys Shmyhal while adding that Ukrainians know how to counter russia not in theory but in practice.
"Europe is currently experiencing one of the most crucial moments in its history. The fate of Ukraine will decide the fate of the entire continent. The existence of a united, strong, independent Ukrainian state will be one of the strong pillars of a united Europe," the Prime Minister stressed.
He also expressed confidence that Ukraine would soon be a full-fledged part of the European family: "Strengthening Ukraine today means strengthening the whole of united Europe tomorrow and the day after tomorrow."
Denys Shmyhal also met separately with the Speaker of the Croatian Sabor, Gordan Jandroković. The parties discussed military and humanitarian assistance, as well as Ukraine's integration into the EU and NATO.