Minister Kotromanović and NATO Secretary General talked on the future of the Alliance

During the official talks Minister Kotromanović and Secretary General Rasmussen stressed the importance of the ISAF mission in contributing to the development of stability in Afghanistan, the importance of continuing European integration of Western Balkan countries and underlined the importance of the “Smart Defence” concept and expansion of “Connected Forces” initiative in the context of retaining defence capabilities of the Alliance member states.

Secretary General Rasmussen praised the contribution of Croatia in the international ISAF peace support mission, adding that members of the Croatian Armed Forces in Afghanistan have been doing a great job. “We appreciate Croatia’s leading role in the Military Police School in the training of Afghan forces. This is a great example of allied cooperation and an indication of how projects should be developed based on the concept of “Smart Defence”. In terms of reduction in funding for defence, it is the only way to maintain the achieved level of operational capabilities of the armed forces of NATO member countries”, Rasmussen said.

Minister Kotromanović congratulated the Secretary General on the successfully held Summit in Chicago, and praised his personal involvement, strong commitment and perseverance in maintaining the relevance of NATO. “Summit in Chicago confirmed the indispensable role of the Alliance for the maintenance of our security and also strongly confirmed the transatlantic relationship. We particularly welcome the main conclusions of the Summit, particularly in terms of defence capabilities, contribution in the stabilization of Afghanistan and the sustainability of the Afghan Security Forces and the development of NATO partnership network”, Minister Kotromanović said.
Speaking of improving the capabilities of the Croatian Armed Forces, the Minister stressed that the Croatian defence budget for the 2013 year would remain at the level of this year. “As we continue the process of modernization, we will change the structure of the budget of the Ministry of Defence, so that more funds we will invest in modernization, training and equipping of the armed forces”, Kotromanović said.

Talking about the possibilities of realization of the concept of “Smart Defence”, Secretary General Rasmussen expressed his satisfaction with the Croatian involvement in six projects in the frame of the allied cooperation and supported the recently concluded agreement on defence cooperation between the Ministry of Defence of the republic of Croatia and Ministry of Kosovo Security Forces.

Minister Kotromanović introduced the NATO Secretary General with the development of important national defence documents (National Security Strategy, Strategic Defence Review, CAF Long Term Development Plan), stressing that one of the principle contained in them was building multinational capabilities.

Minister Kotromanović emphasized strong and continuous commitment and support of Croatia to Euro-Atlantic perspective of the region. They both agreed that the continuation of Euro-Atlantic integration of Western Balkans as well as regional security cooperation was crucial for the stability and economic prosperity.