BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 14. The European Union has underinvested in its defense capabilities, the former Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović said during a panel discussion on “The Path to Peace” at the 12th Global Baku Forum, Trend report.
“We wanted to be a global player, but we did not make sure that we had the capabilities and resources to do so,” she said.
Grabar-Kitarović noted that now is a turning point for the EU.
“There are a lot of discussions among European allies about building their capabilities, increasing investments in defense and defense capacities,” the former president said.
At the same time, its forecasts regarding the increase of the EU's defense capacities are not optimistic.
The official emphasized that the EU must change everything from the procurement system, which prohibits most financial institutions from investing in the military, even in dual-use technologies, to specific plans and what kind of capabilities the union needs. She noted that when a specific plan is presented, the response tends to be: “It's too risky.”
The XII Global Baku Forum will be held from March 13 through 15 this year under the motto “Rethinking the World Order: Turning Challenges into Opportunities”.
The Forum is organized by the Nizami Ganjavi International Center.
The event will discuss key global issues such as geopolitical change, multilateralism, the global health crisis, world recovery and regional stability, COP29, and others.
The Forum will bring together more than 300 world leaders from over 60 countries, including more than 25 former presidents, more than 15 former prime ministers, about 10 heads of UN and international agencies, and more than 25 former ministers and deputy ministers.