Minister Krstičević meets with EDA Chief Executive
The Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krstičević on 12 November 2019 visited the European Defence Agency (EDA) in Brussels, where he met with the Chief Executive Jorge Domecq.
Minister Krstičević and Chief Executive Domecq reviewed the recent successful meeting in Zagreb and the workshop co-organised with the EDA and held in the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in September 2019.
Minister and EDA Executive Director praised the results achieved to date and affirmed the intention to continue strengthening the co-operation, particularly in the framework of the Croatian presidency of the EU Council of the EU, and underlined the military mobility, PESCO, CARD and other initiatives aimed at strengthening Europe’s defence, technological and industrial base.
Minister Krstčević highlighted the launching of PESCO CBRN SaaS as a B category project within the Agency, and the related Agreement signed between the Republic of Croatia, Austria, Hungary and Slovenia on the margins of the EDA Steering Board meeting, intended to develop a permanent network of sensors, composed of UAVs and UGVs, providing an integral operational CBRN picture.
The Minister said the Republic of Croatia took part in five more PESCO projects, launched to boost the development of the insufficient goals and capabilities of the defence forces of the member countries and to provide an opportunity for the Croatian defence industry and thus to contribute to overall economic growth.
The support to the small and middle-sized enterprises in the EU and the strengthening of Europe’s defence, technology and industrial base, will be one of the defence-related priorities of Croatia’s presidency of the EU Council.