U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense visits MoD

The two senior defence officials discussed the security and defence topics of mutual interest, with special prominence given to  continued defence co-operation in the domains of joint training events, exercises, participation in operations and the use of the U. S. military aid programmes.

Minister Kotromanović briefed the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense with the current developments in the Croatian defence system, the development plans and suggested further domains of joint co-operation. The two sides discussed a number of topics relevant for the regional and global security (e.g. the security and political situation in the South-East Europe, the regional defence co-operation and the current situation in Ukraine and the Middle East respectively) and highlighted the importance of consistent engagement in the stabilisation and reconstruction of the post-2014 Afghanistan, following the completion of ISAF. 

The topics on the agenda of the forthcoming NATO summit were considered too,  emphasising the importance of participaiton in the Smart Defence Initiative, the relations with partner countries (particularly the South-east Europe aspirant countries) and the “Open Door Polic”.

Assistant Secretary Chollet commended Croatia’s achievement following a most demanding transition, and the position it has acquired as the regional “exporter of security“ and a country to serve as model to others. He also praised the strong U.S.-Croatia partnership and the commitment to continue developing the defence co-operation.
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs is a senior U.S. Department of Defense official responsible for the security strategy and politics related to Europe (including NATO), the Middle East and Africa, as well as for the U.S. programmes of security co-operation sustained with with the regions.