Second round table on the draft of National Security Strategy

Participants in the discussion assessed the draft of the National Security Strategy as good, and some presented the opinion that it was more in the draft than expected. A number of guidelines in this document were welcomed, and main proposals and suggestions were aimed at making the final text of the National Security Strategy more comprehensive and of better quality. Thus, for example in the debate it was suggested to more emphasize the importance of energy security, to address the dangers of cyber crime, to more highlight the value of digital infrastructure …, and among others it was praised that in this document public has been recognized as a component of national security.

Round table participants particularly commended that the draft of National Security Strategy was given on the public hearing. Denis Avdagic from the Organization for the Promotion of North Atlantic  Integrations said that by presenting the document in this way it was a strong step forward in communicating with the public, while Gordan Bosanac from the Centre for Peace Studies, said that “the MOD was a step ahead, by showing how to use the internet and other means to contribute to the quality of this debate”.

Defence Minister Davor Bozinovic thanked all the representatives of NGOs who have responded to this open and transparent discussion. The Minister invited them to further, continuous cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and CAF. He also stressed that the MOD was also open to other forms of cooperation on the satisfaction of both parties. “This is your and our ministry, and while we are here we must make the most of knowledge and effort to make a qualitative step forward”, Minister Bozinovic said. He also stressed that all suggestions and comments on this document may be given through the website of the Ministry of Defence.

Pointing to the importance of making a new National Security Strategy Minister Bozinovic said the “time we live in itself brings a new set of challenges to which each state has to respond”. He said it is a comprehensive document that will be a real challenge to implement in practice, and stressed the importance of defining the dynamics of the implementation of the National Security Strategy.

Advisor to the President of the Republic for Defence Zlatko Gareljic said that all proposals and suggestions were welcome, but also that it was good that in the previously held two round table discussions on this document there were no strategic objections.

The draft of National Security Strategy, were developed by 19 ministries and government bodies, and this was the second in a series of roundtables held in the public hearing on the draft of National Security Strategy.