According to Politico, Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman has apologized after receiving criticism for kissing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at a European Union (EU) meeting. Mr. Radman said that he was unaware that his pleasant greeting had possibly embarrassed his German colleague during a meeting of foreign ministers from the EU and other countries in the process of joining the EU on November 2 in Berlin.
03.11.2023.
dr. sc. Gordan Grlić Radman,
ministar vanjskih i europskih poslova
(02.11.2023.) pic.twitter.com/k20F8nZEFo— Š (@RashoVeljkov1) November 3, 2023
Mr Radman, according to Croatian media, called it an “inconvenient moment.” “We ministers always greet each other cordially,” he continued. If someone saw something bad in that, then apologies to whoever took it that way. The plane was late, so we only saw each other in a joint photo. I don’t know how someone took it. We are sitting together until of the other, we are neighbors. It was a very good conference. Maybe it turned out awkwardly.”
According to recordings circulating on the internet, foreign ministers from several nations are seen assembling in front of the media for a group photo. The Croatian Foreign Minister extends his hand to shake hands with Ms Baerbock, then goes in for a kiss. The German Minister then turns her head to show her cheek before laughing it off.
Ms Baerbock Declined to Comment On the Awkward Kiss During a News Conference
Ms Baerbock declined to comment on the awkward kiss during a news conference on Saturday, according to the site. During a meeting with Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov in Baku, she told reporters, “We didn’t talk about kissing today.”
Mr Radman was chastised by former Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor. “Forced kissing of women is also called violence, right?” she tweeted on X, previously Twitter.
This comes after FIFA banned former Spanish football boss Luis Rubiales for three years last month for forcing a kiss on the lips of World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso.
