Defence Minister receives Canadian Foreign Minister

The ministers used the opportunity to discuss the upcoming NATO Summit in Wales, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the situation in the Middle East and in Afghanistan, the co-operation in South-east Europe and the bilateral defence co-operation.
Minister Kotromanović underlined the amicable relations nurtured between Canada and Croatia, also in the NATO framework, focusing on global and regional co-operation alike, strengthening its capabilities to meet possible threats.
With an eye on the altered geopolitical and geostrategic situation in Europe, the ministers considered NATO capabilities to be developed in future, as well as the guidelines and recommendations to the members towards bigger defence allocations.
Minister Kotromanović underlined Croatia’s support to the Alliance’s initiative to reverse the reduced defence budget policy and stated the importance of the stability and security in the countries in south-east Europe, and of continued NATO’s open door and enlargement policy.
«We expect from Canada and other Alliance nations to jointly support the Open door policy. As both NATO and the EU member, Croatia will continue to invest efforts to enhance our neighbours’ Euroatlantic integration processes», said Minister Kotromanović.

Minister Baird also pledged strong support to the aspirant countries in their accession efforts. With respect to ISAF, Canada withdrew its forces from ISAF in March 2014, but remains present in Afghanistan, providing USD 110 mil for ANSF funding, and insisting on transparent use. Croatia supports the Alliance’s engagement in the post-2014 period too, provided that the required legal framework is assured, in which case it will take part in the Resolute Support with a reduced force, assigned primarily as advisors to the Afghanistan security forces.

The two sides also touched upon the bilateral defence co-operation and expressed mutual desire to expand it to education and training.