An EU minister has sparked controversy after attempting to kiss one other diplomat throughout a photocall at a convention in Berlin.

Croatian overseas minister Gordan Grlić-Radman has been lashed after he was seen leaning ahead to kiss his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock after shaking palms along with her through the convention photocall.

Ma Baerbcok is seen turning her head to keep away from the kiss earlier than he makes contact along with her cheek.

The Croatian diplomat has reportedly been criticised in some Croatian media experiences, with girls’s rights activist Rada Boric describing the incident as “highly inappropriate”.

However, Grlić-Radman moved to defend himself, and mentioned to the reporters: “I don’t know what the problem was... We always greet each other warmly. It is a warm human approach to a colleague”.

Ms Baerbock has to this point not made touch upon the awkward alternate which German media have nicknamed “Kuss-Attacke” or the “kiss attack”.

Mr Grlić-Radman denied he had meant to embarrass his German counterpart by being overly pleasant.

He mentioned: “Maybe it was an awkward moment. If someone saw something bad in it, then I apologise to whoever took it that way.”

Meanwhile, Croatian feminist Rada Boric blasted the minister’s gesture as “highly inappropriate”, including that “warm greetings” ought to occur solely amongst these whose relationship permits kissing.

“It’s clear that such a relationship doesn’t exist here and that the (German) minister was left surprised with such closeness,” Boric instructed the Jutarnji List outlet.