Minister Banožić at the meeting of NATO defense ministers

Minister Banožić took part in a ministerial meeting on 12 October 2023, which started with a North Atlantic Council discussion of Israel’s security situation in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s Defense Minister, spoke to the NATO defense ministers via video link, updating them on the situation and thanking them for their solidarity in this difficult moment for the Israeli people.

The allies supported Israel’s right to self-defense and condemned the horrific terrorist acts that caused so much suffering to innocent civilians. They also expressed concern about a potential escalation of violence in the region.

“HAMAS must take responsibility for terrorist attacks against Israel. The facts given by our Israeli colleague startled us because there is never a justification for killing civilians. Israel has every right to defend itself against acts of terror. Minimizing additional human suffering is crucial and necessary for the future of the entire region”, said Minister Banožić.

The North Atlantic Council meeting on deterrence and defense, to which Sweden was invited to participate, followed the ministerial meeting. The ratification of Sweden’s full membership in NATO, which will strengthen the Alliance and that particular region of Europe, was called for by ministers of defense.

At the Vilnius Summit, NATO heads of state and government decided to continue strengthening the NATO-Ukraine political partnership which would be followed by the creation of comprehensive defense plans and an increase in the number of troops in a state of high readiness.

In this regard, the ministers were briefed by representatives of NATO’s military formations on the decisions that had been made so far and the next steps in their implementation. These processes would continue until the summit in Washington.

Due to its unique geographical position, Croatia contributes to strengthening NATO defense and deterrence framework by providing substantial support to the battlegroups in the Alliance’s east, regularly increasing the defense budget, and investing in the enhancement of critical capabilities.
“By doing so, we demonstrate our solidarity and unity with our partners. Today, we can see how important that is,” said the Minister.

During the meeting, defense ministers and EU representatives talked about the missions and operations of the Alliance, which are a visible aspect of NATO’s activities.
Our message to all those responsible for current and potential threats is that NATO’s missions and operations are reliable and adaptable. In this regard, the ministers emphasised the NATO Mission Iraq, which will offer more assistance to the Federal Police and the Interior Ministry of Iraq.

“According to the existing Decision of the Croatian Parliament, the Republic of Croatia is actively contributing to the success of the NATO Mission Iraq, and we are considering with our allies from the U.S.-Adriatic Charter (A5) how to jointly contribute to stabilising Iraq,” said the Minister.
The lack of political progress, the recent rise in tensions, and the terrorist attack in the north – to which NATO allies swiftly responded by sending more troops to the KFOR operation – were the main topics of discussion regarding security and stability in the Western Balkans.

Minister Banožić commended the decision and emphasized that KFOR must remain an effective deterrent as it is the key to stability and security in the region. He called for the renewal of dialogue under the direction of the European Union with a more balanced approach based on the Brussels, Ohrid, and other agreements.

“Those who attacked the Kosovo police and earlier the NATO forces, as well as people who order the attacks, must be brought to justice,” Banožić said.

He also emphasised the need for the Alliance to closely monitor events in Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to prevent tensions from rising and the security situation from getting worse. An increasingly loud narrative in BH, he said, poses a threat to the nation’s territorial integrity.