Participation of members of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in peacekeeping missions

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Croatian diplomats have been involved in the frame of the civilian advisory to NATO ISAF peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. First Croatian diplomat was sent in 2005 as head of the Croatian team at the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) based on the “Joint Statement on civil cooperation in the German provincial reconstruction team in Feyzabad, Badakhshan Province in the northeast of Afghanistan” signed between the Croatian Government and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Croatian team’s main tasks were the analysis of political dynamics in the province of Badakhshan, monitoring the preparation and implementation of the parliamentary and provincial elections, assistance in establishing and improving the functioning of local governance, protection of human rights, coordination of cooperation with UN representatives and non-governmental organizations and the identification, processing and coordinating the development and reconstruction projects (with the U.S. and Germany donor funds).
In addition to civilian duties, diplomats also performed duties of political advisers of high civilian representative of NATO to Afghanistan with the aim of expanding the PRT network, tracking regional dynamics, and coordination in the reconstruction and development. It was the first case that the person not from the NATO member states was assigned on the duty of a political advisor to NATO.
In addition, diplomats were responsible for the fight against narcotics, civilian aviation, and coordination of activities with the Afghan ministries and political segments of the ISAF. These activities have resulted in a longer or shorter stays in more than 20 Afghan provinces in all parts of the country.
Also, during and after the mandate, diplomats were involved as lecturers and trainers in the NATO Joint Warfare Center in Stavanger, the NATO School in Oberammergau and the NATO courses in Tajikistan.

During diplomatic mandates in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan we have achieved significant support projects as part of the Development Strategy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan:

  • In 2008, the Republic of Croatia has contributed  U.S. $ 50.000.00  to support WFP in Afghanistan – ‘Food for Education’.
  • In April 2009, the construction of basic health centre in the Layoba village in Badakhshan started (U.S. $ 240.000.00).
  • In May 2009, the Republic of Croatia has transferred U.S. $ 50.000.00 to the UNDP in Afghanistan to support the Presidential elections held on the 20th of August 2009
  • In 2008, Croatian team Feyzabad under slogan “Small projects – significant effects” initiated support projects of alternative sources of income against production of opium and to help students of Feyzabad orphanage. So far U.S. $ 8.000.00 was spent on small projects through which we achieved excellent cooperation with the Directorate for Relations with Women. Hundreds of poor students bought clothes and school supplies, and 30 hives with bees were donated to Women’s Bee Association. This year German contingent and USAID will join to this kind of support.

So far five Croatian diplomats have been sent to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan:
1.    Drazen Hrastić – May 2005 – July 2007
2.    Ivan Velimir Starčević – August 2005 -December 2006
3.    Zeljko Posavec – January – December 2007
4.    Tomislav Bosnjak – November 2007 – August 2008
5.    Mirko Capjak – currently in ISAF