CAF integrated in NATO

The signing followed after the Final Integration Conference in the Officer’s Club of the Croatian Military Academy (HVU) “Petar Zrinski” and was attended by representatives of the Armed Forces, Ministry of Defence, ACT, Allied Joint Force Command Naples and former chiefs of CAF General Staff.

Speaking after the signing of the Declaration, General Lovrić said that the integration process was very complex and challenging, and that it involved the coordination of work in all functional areas: personnel management, security, intelligence capabilities, operations, training, education, logistics, defence planning, command systems, communications, procurement and in many other segments. “It is important to emphasize that during this process we have been taken into account our specific circumstances, which we will continue to develop using NATO standards”, Lovrić said. During his statement, General Lovrić thanked everyone from NATO and the Croatian Armed Forces who participated in the integration process, and expressed readiness to share the Croatian experience with countries that aspire to get NATO membership.

General Bieniek welcomed the efforts that the Croatian Armed Forces have invested in the integration process, as well as their development within NATO, by which CAF have proven to be a reliable member who contributes to all levels of the Alliance’s activities. Croatia’s integration was well coordinated and completed in a relatively short period of three years, Bieniek said, adding that our country has shown determination to reform the defence sector. For military transformation, we have been provided with the necessary resources, especially if one takes into account the global economic crisis. The Deputy Commander of Allied Command Transformation also noted some Croatian achievements since 2009.  – Croatia is an active member of the Alliance, which participates in NATO working bodies, send personnel to various NATO headquarters, and, most importantly, it supports NATO’s missions and operations. Croatia also undertook efforts to facilitate cooperation between NATO and its neighbouring countries, which has contributed to the improvement of regional security. “Thank you for the very good work!”, the General concluded.