Minister Buljević attends NATO Defence Ministerial
The Croatian Defence Minister Josip Buljević attended the two-day meeting of NATO defence ministers at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 10-11 February 2016.
The meeting was one of major events prior to NATO summit in Warsaw in July 2016 and addressed the adaptation of the Alliance to the pressing security challenges.
During the first session the ministers reviewed the implementation of conclusions from the past summit held in Wales, particularly with regard to the Alliance’s Readiness Action Plan and the future boosting of the military posture.
The participants welcomed the U.S. decision to expand its military presence in Europe and the related increase in the defence budget (3.4 billion USD in 2017) for the purpose.
The ministers also discussed the security challenges to the south and east of the Alliance and exchanged the views on the Defence and Related Security Capacity Building Initiative and its employment in the area. The meeting was attended by a EU representative and the representatives of the five nations of the Partnership Interoperability Initiative (Australia, Finland, Georgia, Jordan and Sweden).
The agenda of 11 February featured the continued discussion on the increased defence budgets by NATO nations, in compliance with the Defence Investment Pledge. The participants also considered cyber defence, hybrid warfare, anti-missile defence capability and the security situation in Afghanistan.
The ministers supported the joint request from Germany, Turkey and Greece to NATO to engage in the international efforts to stem illegal trafficking and illegal migration in the Aegean and assist with the refugee and migrant crisis and reducing the influx of illegal immigrants into Europe.
The last meeting was the NATO-Georgia Commission, during which the ministers reviewed the progress on NATO’s substantial package of support for Georgia launched at the Wales Summit in 2014 and discussed the development of NATO-Georgia relations.
The Croatian Minister urged the commitment to full implementation of the conclusions from the Wales Summit and the need for a long-term adaptation of the Alliance, with a stress placed on the military posture; the increased resilience of the member nations and the abandoning of the Soviet –produced weaponry. The Minister also highlighted the need for further development of Alliance’s relevant defence capabilities, the increase of the resilience of the member nations and the importance of a stronge engagement towards the resolving of the crisis in the Middle East and North Africa (including the influx of migrants) for European security and towards the Euro-atlantic integration of southeastern Europe.
On the margins Minister Buljević held bilateral meetings with the Defence Ministers of Albania, Mimi Kodheli, praising the co-operation realised to date and expressing commitment to its further development, and with the Defence Minister of Georgia, Tinatin Khidasheli, to whom he expressed the support for the territorial integrity and Euro-Atlantic integration aspirations of Georgia.