Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman greeted his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock by kissing her during a photo shoot at a European Union conference in Berlin on Thursday.
The footage went viral and sparked controversy as women rights activists criticized the action and considered it “inappropriate”.
It caused a backlash on social media as many people deplored the actions and touted it as inappropriate. Radman defended his action as he claimed it it a “warm human approach to a fellow colleague”. Feminist groups and notable women’s rights activists criticized Radman’s move as highly inappropriate, stating that “warm greetings” should only occur among those with a relationship that allows kissing.
Radman apologized for the move as he said it was “maybe an awkward moment” and he offered his apologies “to whoever took it that way. “Most Notably, Ms. Barebock hasn’t taken any action or hasn’t commented on the incident so far.
Grlić-Radman has been Minister of Foreign and European Affairs since July 2019. He is married and the father of three children. He speaks German, English, Bulgarian, and Hungarian but not fluently.
