Krstičević primio ministra Erjavca prilikom njegova prvog službenog bilateralnog posjeta Ministarstvu obrane RH u ulozi slovenskog ministra | Foto: MORH / T. Brandt
Minister Krstičević meets with Slovenian Defence Minister
The Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krstičević on 22 October 2019 met with the Slovenian Defence Minister Karl Erjavec on his first official visit to Croatia in his office. It was their fourth meeting in a year, affirming the continuous co-operation.
Minister Krstičević and Minister praised the Exercise “Immediate Response 19” – an epytome of allies and regional partners synergy. “The Croatian and Slovenian armed forces had excellent co-operation taking part jointly in the international military exercise “Immediate Response” said Minister Krstičević.
They also discussed the modalities for further development of co-operation both within NATO and the EU and on the bilateral basis.
“I would like to underline the establishment of an Multinational Aviation Training Centre, based at Zemunik, the institution where Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary and Bulgaria will develop capabilities for air force special operations. The MATC is a model of regional co-operation which will hopefully grow into a NATO Centre of Excellence, providing a contribution to the development of the capabilities at NATO level”.
The meeting also featured the discussion on the perspective of the co-operation of the defence industries. Minister Krstičević appreciated Minister Erjavec for the extensive Slovenian participation at the ASDA Exhibition 19 in Split.
The two sides underlined the many bilateral activities, dedicated to the support with attainment of NATO Target Capabilities, and delineated new domains – training and exercise planning and operationalisation of joint use of training capacities and ranges.
Minister Krstičević addressed the forthcoming Croatian presidency of the EU Council and briefed his Slovenian counterpart with the defence priorities of the presidency – the implementation and coherence of the ongoing initiatives (PESCO, Europeand Defence Fund and military mobility, enhancement of the EU-NATO co-operation and of the Transatlantic Link, strengthening of the industrial segment of defence and further EU efforts in south Europe aimed at enhancing capacities and resilience of partners against hybrid threats, stratetic communication and application of mechanisms within the EU-NATO co-operation.
The two ministers agreed on the necessity to provide support to the countries in the region with their Euro-Atlantic integration.
The Slovenian Defence Minister Karl Erjavec emphasised defence as the domain of excellent co-operation between the two countries, particularly in education and co-operation of the special forces.
“Our defence co-operation is at a very high level”, said the Slovenian Minister and announced his intention to attend the formal opening of MTAC at Zemunik in December and at the informal ministerial to be held in March 2020, during the Croatian presidency of the EU.
After the meeting the two ministers toured the display stands in the Ministry of Defence with products of the Croatian defence industry.
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