The marking of 10th anniversary of membership in NATO

The main ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of Croatia’s accession to NATO was held in the Westin Hotel in Zagreb on 29 March 2019, hosted by the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Croatian Armed Forces Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, the Chairman of the Croatian Parliament Gordan Jandroković and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and attended by the Vice President of NATO Parliamentary Assembly Michael R.Turner, the Head of the Croatian Parliament’s Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly Miroslav Tuđman, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Marija Pejčinović Burić, the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krstičević, the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces General Mirko Šundov and the delegation of the Ministry of Defence and of the Croatian Armed Forces the Minister of Homeland War Veterans Tomo Medved and the members of the Military Diplomatic Corps and members of NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

The Head of the Croatian Parliament’s Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly Miroslav Tuđman opened the ceremony expressing pride over the successes Croatia achieved within NATO to date.

President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović emphasised that over its first decade of membership in NATO has been its new and added value, contributing to the new order and the determination to promote the ideals for the future. The President reminded of the courage and professionalism of the Croatian defenders setting the foundation for the modern Croatian Armed Forces and also extended appreciation to the members of the Croatian Armed Forces serving at home and abroad. We continue to realise the ideal of united and free Europe living in peace.

The Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Gordan Jandroković said Croatia has proved itself as a credible and committed both with the allies and with the local populations of the countries hosting the peace missions.”Our added value is commitment for the open door policy and enlargement to southeast Europe to convert it into a secure and stable area. Croatia was among the first countries to ratify the accession protocols for Montenegro and North Macedonia.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said that Croatia had proved to be a credible ally and would continue its present policy. “It’s good for our security and our contribution to security both regionally and globally,” the Vice.president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Michael R.Turner said the Croatian membership and experience in NATO set the right examples for the future members.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Damir Krstičević underlined the role of the Croatian soldiers in NATO-led missions. “Croatian soldiers enjoy respect and recognition. We are ambassadors and guarantor of peace and security of Croatia”, said the Minister.

The Croatian Post issued a commemorative postal stamp honouring the 10th anniversary of membership of the Republic of Croatia to NATO. The ceremony featured a film dedicated to the anniversary and performances by the Croatian Navy’s Vocal Ensemble “Sveti Juraj” and the Jazz Band of the Croatian Armed Forces.

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