Annual briefing for military diplomatic corps in Croatia

At the reception for members of VDZ in Croatia, Minister Vukelic said that the cooperation between VDZ and the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces in 2010 increased, with increased number of joint activities. Military-diplomatic corps has been described as an important factor in building good relations between Croatia and friendly countries. Speaking about the achievements in 2010, Vukelic said that Croatia has made substantial progress towards completion of negotiations with the European Union. “As regards the role of the Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces, especially important is the Croatia’s readiness to participate in international peacekeeping missions, including those under the jurisdiction of the European Union”, Minister Vukelic concluded.

As part of his presentation at the annual briefing for members of VDZ, General Josip Lucic said that the aim of the briefing was to inform members of VDZ on activities and achievements of the Croatian Armed Forces in 2010. There were two presentations on the participation of Armed Forces in peacekeeping missions and on the help that CAF provided to civilian structures in crisis situations. General Lucic stressed that efforts in the current year were focused primarily on the further CAF development, stabilization and cooperation in the region of Southeast Europe, and the contribution of CAF to world peace. He also thanked the members of VDZ for the excellent cooperation.

On behalf of the VDZ, the audience was addressed by Doyen, Danish Colonel Soren Knudsen. Thanking for cooperation, he called last year the demanding for the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces, in which, although in conditions of economic crisis, they successfully continued with the development of new strategic documents, modernization and integration process into NATO. Speaking about international operations, Knudsen said that Croatia could be proud of the contribution of troops who have been doing a good job. Regarding the situation in the region, Knudsen said that Croatia was the leader in the processes of cooperation and stabilization.