Central European Defence Ministerial

Along with the Croatian host, Minister Ante Kotromanović, the attending ministers were Roman Jakič, Defence Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Vlastimil Picek, Defence Minister of the Czech Republic, Gerald Klug, Defence Minister of the Republic of Austria, Csaba Hende, Defence Minister of Hungary and Miloš Koterec, State Secretary of Defence of the Republic of Slovakia.

The Ministerial was held in anticipation of the NATO Ministerial to be held in Brussels on 4th and 5th June 2013, and discussed the topics regarding the co-operation possibilities related to implementation of capability targets and prospects of future co-operation among the central European countries. The ministers also looked towards the meeting of the European Council on Common Security and Foreign Policy and deployability of EU Battle Groups and the possibilities to increase the synergy of contribution to the Battlegroups from the central European countries.

Among the topics of the Ministerial were the prospects for growth of defence industry within the European Union, without leaving out small countries and their capacities. Also discussed was promotion of co-operation with respect to joint training and practicing as well as to capability-building co-operation, where air policing was suggested as a possible co-operation domain.

In the opening address Croatian Defence Minister Kotromanović emphasized that the Central European Initiative gathers friendly countries sharing common history and tradition. “We are comparable countries in the geographical and demographical size, integration into Euro-Atlantic associations, economy trends and defence budget situation but we also share the common intent to contribute to European security”. Minister Kotromanović also pointed out that the Republic of Croatia was entering the European Union in the year particularly important for the EU common security and defence policy bears special importance, as indicated by the session of the European Council scheduled for December 2013. “This fact, said Minister Kotromanović, is at once motivating and binding for us”.

The Ministerial was held within the existing informal “Central European Solutions for Pooling and Sharing Initiative”, whose basic tenet is to explore the possibilities for pooling and sharing of capabilities within the current financial and defence restrictions as an option to contribute to maintenance, enhancement and further specialisation of defence capabilities. One of the conclusions brought at the Mali Lošinj Ministerial was that the Initiative should keep conducting tangible joint projects and consultations on security and defence issues as its principal values.

The participating countries have jointly defined the domains to develop co-operation within the Central European Initiative. The Republic of Croatia declared its readiness to participate in 21 of the existing 25 domains, along with co-facilitating the Joint Regional Pilot Training Capability (with the Czech Republic) and Special Operations Forces Training (with the Republic of Austria).

On the margins of the meeting, Minister Kotromanović presented Maj. Gen. Johann Pucher, Defence Co-operation Director of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Austria with the Order of Croatian Trefoil for outstanding achievement in promotion of bilateral defence co-operation, on behalf of the President of the Republic of Croatia Ivo Josipović.

The Ministerial also included a joint exercise by Croatian and Austrian special operations forces, in support of establishment and maintenance of bilateral co-operation between the two countries in that domain.
[nggallery id=1176]

The Ministerial succeeded the meeting held in Frauenkirchen, Austria in June 2012.