MOD Republic of Croatia

MOD State Secretary Pjer Simunovic received on Wednesday, July 28, in the inaugural visit, the Permanent Representatives of the UN Programme for Development (UNDP) to Croatia, Louise Vinton. During the meeting they discussed previous cooperation, especially on the participation of members of the Croatian Armed Forces in the UN peacekeeping missions. State Secretary Simunovic presented the unique position of our view on the peacekeeping mission, given the experience gained in the Homeland war. In addition to military training, the State Secretary stressed the importance of cooperation with the local population as well as informing on the local cultures, traditions and religion as an intrinsic part of participation in peacekeeping missions. Croatia started with participation in the UN peacekeeping mission in 1999 by sending 10 members of the Croatian Armed Forces to the peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) as military observers. Republic of Croatia currently participates in seven UN peacekeeping missions: on the Golan Heights (UNDOF), in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), in Western Sahara (MINURSO), on Cyprus (UNFICYP), in Liberia (UNMIL), Sudan (UNMIS) and Lebanon (UNIFIL ).
Louisa Vinton came into office of coordinator of the United Nations and the Permanent Representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Croatia, on the 5^th of July 2010.