Symposium on Croatian Navy

The Symposium is envisaged to open the cycle of events of the kind aimed to direct the Long-Term Development Plan towards best solutions. The agenda included presentations, exchange of views and a discussion on the current and future role, the capabilities and modernisation of the Croatian Navy.

The main topics of the Symposium included the security environment for the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Navy and the society in general, defence policy and the long-term goals of defence planning, economic development and defence system funding projections. Also discussed were the capabilities required for Navy’ functioning.  Most of the presentations have taken into consideration the current security threat situation, NATO and the EU membership and budgetary and financial conditions.

In the opening remarks the Minister Kotromanović stated the objective of maintaining a Navy ready and capable of protecting the Adriatic Sea and participating in international operations in future too. The Adriatic Sea is the Republic of Croatia’s key geo-political asset, and the responsibility of the Navy is increasing in view of the prospective accession to the European Union and the possibility of asymmetrical threats taking that route. By endorsing the project of building of patrol boats both the Croatian Ministry of Defence and the Government have demonstrated that the safety of the Adriatic constitutes a strategic priority.

The Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Drago Lovrić pointed out that, given the highly complex and demanding task of preparing the Long-Term Development Plan it was important to have the Symposium analyse the related issues. Speaking of the future of the Croatian Navy, General Lovrić stated that the Navy would by all means retain its traditional capabilities and would not be reduced to Coast Guard. As for modernisation of the Armed Forces, General said that if the processes followed the current dynamics the amount allocated for modernisation in the upcoming decade would total 7 to 8 billion kuna.

The Host of the Symposium, Commodore Robert Hranj complimented the participants on their expertise and reminded that it was the initial Symposium of a series during which the Croatian Navy members are to express their views related to the Long-Term Development Plan and profit from useful inputs by representatives of other units and institutions.