The traditional foreign policy conference organised by the Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry is a sort of introduction to the International Conference on Financing for Development and a UN summit on a development plan for the period post 2015.
The topics of Croatia Summit include partnership between small and big donors, sustainable development, and terrorism. For the first time, African officials will attend.
Croatia Forum began as Croatia Summit ten years ago, which changed its format in 2013, inviting foreign ministers.
The first Croatia Summit was held in Dubrovnik in 2006.
In October 2005, Croatia began European Union membership negotiations and made headway towards NATO membership, so the first conference focused on security issues and Euro-Atlantic integration, which was the main topic in 2007 too.
The third Croatia Summit in 2008 addressed security, development and prosperity. It was held a few months after Croatia was invited to join NATO. The 2009 summit focused on energy, investment and development. That year Croatia joined NATO.
In 2010, Croatia Summit addressed global challenges from the region's perspective, while the 2011 summit, held a few days after Croatia completed EU membership negotiations, addressed the future and completion of transition.
The 2012 Croatia Summit focused on state building and the EU experience, while the 2013 event, now called Croatia Forum, addressed Europe's energy security.
Last year, Croatia Forum focused on the European integration of the Western Balkans. It was attended by 18 foreign ministers, including incumbent EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.
International cooperation in development is an important instrument for establishing cooperation globally. Croatia Forum is also an opportunity to address key foreign policy challenges to development such as conflicts and terrorism as well as to examine how development cooperation can contribute to overcoming those challenges.