NATO Resource Conference opened in Split

The conference was organized by the Allied Command Transformation, in collaboration with the Croatian Ministry of Defence with about 150 participants from the missions and delegations to NATO, NATO Resources Planning and Policy Board, Budget Committee and the Committee for Investments, International Staff and International Military Staff. The conference is an excellent opportunity for sharing reflections on new ideas, concepts and plans regarding resources, in this case, financial and material, with the aim of preserving and increasing defence capabilities of states.

Opening the conference representative of the Minister of Defence, State Secretary in the Ministry of Defence Mate Raboteg said that the conference was not only about what was accomplished during the year but it deals with current issues and activities that could be undertaken in the time ahead. “This is particularly important”, Raboteg said “in the context of the upcoming NATO Summit in Chicago in May 2012.” He pointed out the challenges that have become our reality, such as terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, cyber security, etc. He mentioned that at the same time we face with the budget challenges that placed new demands on defence spending. “All these challenges point to the need for closer multinational cooperation”, Raboteg said and noted that we in the Ministry of Defence faces challenges as well as in other countries. “NATO is seen as a place for exchange of ideas, advice, information about initiatives and concrete projects of other countries. All this in order to ensure collective security at an affordable price”, he concluded.

Gen. Mieczyslaw Bieniek, deputy commander of the Allied Command for Transformation also addressed the importance of conference. He said we need to think, act and work together toward a common goal, trying to find more resources for a safer future. He stressed that Smart Defence was not an event but a process that consists of defining priorities, specialization and cooperation, and for achieving this we need integration of NATO Security Investment Program, human resources and other resources.

Some of the topics to be discussed in the panel discussion are the resource reform -status and way forward, resource management for operations, transparency and accountability in the public sector, cultural and organizational changes-exercise capability through continuous transformation and others.

In the conference as representatives of the Republic of Croatia participate Colonel Ivan Pervan, a senior defence adviser in the defence section of the Permanent Delegation of Croatia to NATO, Lieutenant Davor Loncar, staff officer for logistics and resources in the military representation of the Republic of Croatia to NATO and Major General Mate Ostovic, Commander of the CAF Support Command.

This is the second conference held as part of the annual NATO resources conference exclusively for NATO member countries. Next conference will be held in Istanbul, Turkey.