Croatian Assistant Defence Minister visits UK

The programme of the visit included the visit to the Atalanta NAVFOR Command, the Maritime Command (MARCOM), the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Hq and the bilateral defence and security consultations with the Director for Security Policy of the UK Ministry of Defence, Steve McCarthy.

The delegation also held consultations with the Atalanta Commander, Rear-Admiral Bob Tarrant, on the current situation in the operation launched to deter and prevent piracy off the Somali Coast, which also covered the planned Croatian engagement in the course of 2014 with an Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD). The visit to the MARCOM, NATO’s central maritime forces command, and the talks with the Commander, Vice-Admiral Peter Hudson,  was an occasion for consultation on the current situation in the OCEAN SHIELD and ACTIVE ENDEAVOR Operations.
The topics discussed encompassed the plans for future development of the Alliance’s naval assets and the implementation of the Allied naval strategy in the light of the forthcoming NATO Summit to be held in Wales.
The talks with the Director for Security Policy of the UK Ministry of Defence, Steve McCarthy were focussed on the bilaterally relevant security topics, among which the agenda of the NATO Summit, the prospects for the EU Common Security and Defence Policy following the conclusions of the European Council of December 2013, the respective national defence plans and possibilities for expanded co-operations.  
Both sides shared the view that the bilateral defence co-operation, although significantly intensified over the past two years, still left room for more joint activities, particularly between the two Navies, joint Army exercises and future co-operation related to force interoperability.

The visit to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Headquarters was a follow-up on the process initiated in 2013, by a visit of the ARRC expert team to the Croatian MoD and the presentation of its activities with a prospect for future direct co-operation between the Croatian Armed Forces and the ARRC. The Croatian delegation was briefed on the future plans of the ARRC, which operates within the NATO Force Structure, with the emphasis on the modalities related to force training.