Minister Krstičević attends meeting of Adriatic Ionian Initiative
The Croatian Defence Minister Damir Krstičević attended a meeting of defence ministers of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, held in Venice on 15 October 2019.
Minister Krstičević holds a bilateral meeting with Italian Defence Minister
Prior to the meeting of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, Minister Damir Krstičević met with the new Defence Minister of the Italian Republic, Lorenzo Guardini, confirming the excellent ongoing bilateral defence co-operation between Croatia and Italy.
The two ministers discussed intensification of co-operation of the respective navies, particularly regarding joint exercises, and education and training of naval officers.
Minister Krstičević extended an invitation to Italy to join the MSAP, based at Zemunik. The Minister also briefed the Italian counterpart on the first international air show to be hosted by Zadar in 2020 and invited the Italian aerobatic group “Frecce Tricolori“ to take part too.
The ministers also addressed the Croatian presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2020.
Adriatic-Ionian Initiative – Continuation of successful regional cooperation
The ministers gathered at the meeting in Venice signed a joint statement confirming the ADRION project as a successful example of regional co-operation through the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative based on inclusion, shared values and interests in security and stability. The Statement encourages the commanders of the navies of the countries in southeast Europe to continue investing efforts in co-operation towards greater efficiency and visibility of the initiative, the exchange of capabilities and promotion of knowledge and research exchange.
The Adriatic Ionian Initiative is a continuation of the traditional meeting of the Mediterranean maritime community, held contionuously on a biannual basis. The Symposium is intended for the institutional, political, economic and academic stakeholders in the co-operation at sea, and entails fruitful exchange of views and a comprehensive approach to maritime issues.
The Adriatic-Ionian Initiative, gathering Albania, Montenegro, Greece, Italy, Croatia and Slovenia, launched the project ADRION, aimed at promoting co-operation, exchange of information and development of interoperability and co-ordinated emergency preparedness and response.
