ZAGREB, December 14, 2018 - A ceremony was held in Zagreb on Friday to mark the completion of renovation work on the Interior Ministry facility, arms depot "Gaj", for which the US government donated one million dollars, and in attendance were also Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović and US Ambassador William Kohorst.
Ambassador Kohorst said that the donation would have a far-reaching effect in terms of better security of the ministry's arms storage facilities and the safety of its employees.
The programme will also increase the general security of Croatian citizens and the country's neighbourhood, Kohorst said, adding that the project was also a symbol of partnership between Croatia and the United States.
"Our two countries have been developing good, partnership-based relations in many areas, and the Ministry of the Interior and Croatian police have been reinforcing their very successful strategic, operational and educational cooperation with US law enforcement agencies. We are focusing on joint action with the aim of preventing and solving crimes that are a serious threat to peace and that cross-national borders. Croatia is in an important geopolitical and geostrategic region, at an intersection of many routes," Božinović said, thanking the US government for the donation.
Recalling Croatia's war experience and the still too large number of mines left over from the war, Božinović said that investing in mine protection was one of the key security issues.
The United States has recognised the importance of mine protection and explosive and weapons storage in Croatia as well as of activities of the Ministry of the Interior's mine action service, said Božinović.
He recalled that the partnership between the two countries was additionally confirmed last summer with a memorandum on terrorist screening, which, he said, additionally improved the quality of the joint, global fight against terrorism and prevention of illegal migrations.
The US donation was used to purchase protective ballistic equipment and tool kits for destruction of explosive devices as well as to renovate the warehouse complex. Once it is fully completed, the depot will serve to store weapons, munitions and explosive devices from eastern Croatia.
More news on the cooperation between Croatia and the United States can be found in the Politics section.
