Nine Southern European countries gathered on 7 October 2026 under the MED9 format, issuing a joint declaration in Split that called for a stronger and safer European Union.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that the discussions had shown the countries of Southern Europe faced many of the same challenges. He specifically cited inflation, the consequences of global conflicts, climate-related disasters, and irregular migration as shared concerns among the participating nations.

The meeting resulted in the MED9 Split Declaration, a collective statement reflecting the group's coordinated positions on EU security and institutional matters.

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