Minister Anušić and Chief of the General Staff Kundid Hold Reception for Lieutenant Colonel Zlatko Sudić

Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Defence Ivan Anušić and Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Tihomir Kundid, hosted a reception for Lieutenant Colonel Zlatko Sudić at the Ministry of Defence on Monday, 16 February 2026. During the reception, he was presented with the NATO Meritorious Service Medal at the level of the NATO Secretary General.

Minister Anušić and Lieutenant General Kundid congratulated Lieutenant Colonel Sudić on this exceptional achievement for the Croatian Armed Forces.

Lieutenant Colonel Sudić was awarded the NATO Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) at the level of the NATO Secretary General for outstanding achievements while serving at Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, where he concurrently performs two highly demanding duties.

Lieutenant Colonel Zlatko Sudić is the first in NATO history to design and implement a new and modern comprehensive multi-domain assessment framework.
Minister Anušić emphasised that the award of the NATO medal provides further recognition of the excellence and professionalism of the Croatian Armed Forces’ members operating in international environment.

“Members of the Croatian Armed Forces return from NATO, European Union, and United Nations missions and operations worldwide having received commendations, decorations, and congratulations. This is further confirmation that we are among the best or the best. Our members consistently demonstrate and prove that they meet the highest standards and display exceptional professionalism.”

He congratulated Lieutenant Colonel Sudić and wished him continued success in his professional and personal life:

“I congratulate you and encourage you to continue your professional development, to the benefit of our Armed Forces and, of course, to the honour of yourself and your family.”

The Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Kundid, stated:

“This represents excellent promotion of the Croatian Armed Forces within NATO environment. You have demonstrated that Croatian officers, wherever they serve and perform their duties, possess the value, quality, knowledge and competencies that contribute to the system in which they operate.”

Lieutenant Colonel Sudić thanked Minister Anušić and Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Kundid for the reception and congratulations. He noted that he has been a member of the Croatian Armed Forces for thirty years and has extensive military experience.

“I served in the 1st Guards Brigade Tigrovi. I subsequently served at the Special Forces Training Centre at Šepurine as a commando training instructor and as a sniper training instructor for four years. I also deployed on missions to India and Pakistan, as well as twice to Afghanistan.”

Speaking about his unique professional experience within NATO, he stated:

“I was given the opportunity within NATO to design and implement a unique system utilised in all NATO operations and planning processes. We monitor all operational domains, develop a comprehensive operational picture, and translate it into an actionable assessment.”

The NATO Meritorious Service Medal, awarded at the level of the Secretary General, is one of NATO’s highest individual decorations. It is conferred very rarely and only on the basis of exceptionally high and demanding criteria, with its award contributing significantly to the improvement of processes at all levels and to the overall effectiveness of the Alliance.

Lieutenant Colonel Zlatko Sudić is among the very few members of the Croatian Armed Forces to receive this distinguished recognition at NATO level.