Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman has issued an apology after his gesture of kissing German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during an EU meeting was criticized as inappropriate.

Radman explained that he wasn’t immediately aware that his warm greeting might have made his German counterpart uncomfortable during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Berlin. He acknowledged that it might have been an awkward moment and offered his apologies to anyone who perceived it negatively.

He further clarified that, due to a delay in his flight, he only encountered Baerbock during the “family photo” session, where all EU ministers gathered for a group photo. Radman maintained that warm greetings were customary among colleagues, and he did not see any issue with it.

Video footage of the incident depicted Radman attempting to kiss Baerbock during the “family photo” and her quick sidestep.

The incident was initially reported by the German tabloid newspaper Bild, with sources close to Baerbock characterizing it as an awkward attempt at a brief greeting.

Critics in Croatia accused Radman of publicly embarrassing a high-ranking German government official and tarnishing his own country’s reputation. Former Croatian prime minister Jadranka Kosor even raised concerns about the incident, describing it as a form of violence against women in a social media post.