Minister Bozinovic met Slovenian Defence Minister Jelusic

At the meeting defence ministers discussed the previous bilateral cooperation in the defence field, the contribution of the two countries to international peacekeeping operations, as well as the security situation in the region.
Long-term cooperation between the two ministries was evaluated as extremely successful and intense particularly in the field of military education and training, defence planning and logistics, security defence consultations, exchange of experience in international operations and in other areas of the defence system.
Minister Bozinovic in a media statement said that Croatia and Slovenia were friendly countries which relations, particularly in the defence sector, were extremely successful, and this could be also expected in the future. “We are allies in NATO, soon the strategic partners in the European Union, in which the friendship between the two countries will only generate and open new opportunities for cooperation”, Minister Bozinovic said. Commenting on the cooperation of Croatia and Slovenia in the ISAF peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan, Minister said that this year it would get the new dimension, since Croatia would take over the ANA Military Police School where Slovenia would take part with two instructors. “The joint cooperation in the allied international operations is the best way to ensure security and stability in the region”, Minister Bozinovic said. He also said that one of the priorities of Croatian and Slovenian cooperation would be the defence industry and military equipment and armaments, where both countries could make a major contribution, given the similarity of the products.
“I am extremely happy with cooperation between the two countries in all areas of the defence sector, which we will continue this year”, Slovenian Defence Minister Ljubica Jelusic said. She stressed that co-operation has been intensive in military training; emphasizing that Slovenia was interested in intensifying military cooperation between educational institutions and in training officers and NCOs at all levels of military education. She also said that the Croatian experience from participation in international peacekeeping operation ISAF in Afghanistan were we have three OMLT was the invaluable for Slovenia. “This is the safest and best way to contribute to stability in the region and worldwide”, Slovenian Defence Minister Ljubica Jelusic concluded.
Ministers of Defence of Croatia and Slovenia also talked about possible cooperation of the armed forces in the area of NBC, in a way to consider joining of one CAF platoon to the Slovenian Armed Forces battalion within NATO “NRF” program.
During the meeting, MOD Head of International Cooperation Department Davor Cutic and Head of Multilateral Diplomacy and Defence Sector of the Slovenian Ministry of Defence, Colonel Zlatko Vehovar signed a Cooperation plan for 2011.