ZAGREB, October 25, 2019 - Croatian Defence Minister Damir Krstičević met his US counterpart Mark Esper in Brussels on Thursday ahead of a meeting of NATO defence ministers, and this was their first meeting.
The two officials confirmed the high level of relations between Croatia and the United States, which is a key ally in defence and security, and underlined the commitment to continuing the successful defence cooperation, the Croatian Defence Ministry said in a press release.
Krstičević said Croatia was a responsible partner and committed ally, and Esper commended its contribution to NATO's peace support missions, activities and operations.
Krstičević informed Esper about plans for the development of the Croatian army and thanked him for US donations and support for its modernisation. Esper said the US was willing to continue supporting the development of the Croatian army's capabilities.
The priorities of the Croatia-US defense cooperation are defined in three areas - building the Croatian army's defense capabilities through joint exercises and training; contributing to international security through participation in NATO's peace support and cooperation operations and missions; and promoting stability in Southeast Europe by cooperating within the US-Adriatic Charter and by jointly assisting NATO aspirants, the ministry said.
The two officials also talked about global and regional security and politics.
On Thursday and Friday, NATO's 29 defense ministers are discussing outlays for defence, participation in NATO's peace support operations and missions, preparedness, and hybrid threats.
More news about relations between Croatia and the United States can be found in the Politics section.
