Kotromanović and Çeku signed a Memorandum of Understanding

On this occasion, ministers Kotromanović and Çeku signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Croatian Defence Ministry and the Ministry of the Kosovo Security Forces. This Agreement defines the area of ​​defence cooperation between the two countries as well as issues of military technical cooperation, training of members of the Kosovo Security Forces at the Croatian Military Academy, in particular, high-ranking military officers, training of military pilots, medical training, and training for preparation to participate in international military operations. The agreement also provided that the working groups of both ministries would prepare the Annual plan of activities which would allow realization of activities.

In statements to the media Minister Kotromanović expressed his satisfaction with the signed agreement on defence cooperation between the Kosovo Security Forces and Croatian Armed Forces which determined the principles of defence and military cooperation between the two countries. This is one of a series of agreements that the Ministry of Defence has with its neighbours in the region, the Minister said, adding that Croatia strongly supports the integrity and indivisibility of the territory of Kosovo. We believe that the role of the European Union, NATO and the international community in the Republic of Kosovo is crucial in order to consolidate its European orientation and achieve the perspective of EU membership. He stressed that the Republic of Croatia strongly supported the European future of Kosovo, and holds that the EU engagement was of key importance for Kosovo. In this sense, Croatia strongly supported the deployment of EULEX throughout Kosovo and welcome the efforts of the Kosovo government and EULEX in the fight against organized crime, corruption, smuggling and trafficking at all levels, Kotromanović concluded, announcing, a soon to be, return visit to Kosovo and KFOR Command.

Minister Agim Çeku in his statement thanked his counterpart Kotromanović on the meeting, and in particular for the support of the Croatian Armed Forces that has been providing through participation in the NATO KFOR mission in Kosovo. He expressed great satisfaction that the Kosovo Security Forces and the Croatian Armed Forces would cooperate in the future in a professional manner which was his goal in his long career as a Colonel of the Croatian Armed Forces, and today as a leader of the Kosovo Security Forces. He added that the Republic of Kosovo considered Republic of Croatia as a leader in the region, both politically and militarily and culturally. He said that by participation in the KFOR mission, the Republic of Croatia and its armed forces make a major contribution to stabilizing the situation in Kosovo and in building Kosovo’s state institutions.

The Croatian Armed Forces have been engaged in the NATO peace support operation in Kosovo (Kosovo Force – KFOR) since July 2008, in accordance with the Decision of the Croatian Parliament, when a first contingent of 20 members of the Armed Forces and two transport helicopters Mi -171 Sh were sent. Currently the ninth contingent has been deployed on a rotary basis of four months. The KFOR mission is the first NATO operation on the Balkans involving Croatian soldiers with their own air transport component. The basic task of Croatian contingent is hauling people and cargo.