Meeting between H.E. Fabien Fieschi, the French Ambassador, and Minister Anušić

Deputy Prime Minister Ivan Anušić of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić met with French Ambassador H. E. Fabien Fieschi at the Ministry of Defence today, 11 June 2025.

During the discussion, it was underlined that the two nations’ cooperation has increased since 2021, particularly via strategic partnerships and initiatives such as the procurement of CAESAR howitzers, MISTRAL air defence systems, and Rafale multirole combat aircraft. Along with their tight cooperation within NATO and the EU, Croatia and France are also partners in the European Defence Fund (EDF) and participate in five joint PESCO initiatives.

It was stressed how crucial it is to keep up the strategic dialogue and cooperation between Croatia and France, as well as the strategic cooperation of European nations and the defence autonomy of Europe as a whole, given the increasingly challenging security situation in both Europe and the rest of the world.

“We must not allow anybody else to handle Europe’s security; instead, we must rely on our own capabilities and develop the home defence sector. “Investments in security and defence must not be seen as an expense. Our priorities are changing, and we are moving in the direction of increasing defence spending,” Minister Anušić stated, stressing that the increase in defence spending is a responsible policy in the interest of national and European security rather than the result of outside pressure.

Concerning the availability and delivery schedules of combat equipment from European companies, the Minister also issued a warning about the difficulties facing the European defence sector. He emphasised the need of national and European initiatives to strengthen the defence sectors and establish strategic independence in several crucial domains.

Croatia understands that higher defence expenditure is a crucial component of these initiatives, he added. “The implementation of the White Paper and the ReArm Europe Plan should be ambitious, fast, and pragmatic, and should not remain just a pretty story on paper,” he said. He also emphasised that Croatia is already making progress towards these objectives by allocating 2% of its GDP to defence this year, with intentions to raise that amount to 2.5% by 2027.

In his remarks, Minister Anušić cautioned that Southeast Europe is a potentially dangerous security area. He highlighted the importance of the international community and the Euro-Atlantic outlook of the region’s nations as key elements of stability, which Croatia has consistently promoted.

“It would be a special honour for me to host Minister Lecornu in Zagreb,” the Minister said, adding that all allies and partners, including France, have been invited to the parade in Zagreb on 31 July to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the military police operation Storm.

The meeting was scheduled ahead of next week’s bilateral meeting with Sébastien Lecornu, the French defence minister.