Vukelic received EU Ambassador Vandoren
Defence Minister Branko Vukelic met today, on Tuesday, 5 October 2010, the Ambassador Paul Vandoren, Head of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Croatia. In talks with Ambassador Vandoren Vukelic stressed the role and involvement of the Croatian Armed Forces in international peacekeeping missions including the EU mission, in which he stressed that Croatia, as a responsible NATO member, soon would be responsible and credible member of the European Union.
Vukelic noted that Croatia offers an active contribution to the processes related to the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union, and that Croatia, with its armed forces would be included in the second half of 2012 in the EU battle group project led by Germany, which also represented a concrete contribution to the development of the EU defence capabilities.
Ambassador Vandoren expressed a positive attitude on the Croatian contribution to the Common Security and Defence Policy of the European Union where he emphasized that one of the main arguments in favour of the Croatian joining to the EU was the fact that Croatia contributed to the continuing assurance of peace and stability in the region. In this context, Croatia will be a kind of the EU bridge towards other countries in the region. Vandoren also expressed his hope that the closing of the Chapter 31: Foreign, security and defence policy would go according to the planned schedule.