ZAGREB, May 11, 2018 – Croatian Defence Minister Damir Krstičević on Thursday met with a US Department of Defence official Laura Cooper, who underscored that Croatia is a respectable member of NATO and a key factor of stability and security in the region, the Defence Ministry said in a press release.
Minister Krstičević, Armed Forces Main Staff director Rear Admiral Robert Hranj, and Krstičević’s defence policy assistant Petar Mihatov met with Cooper, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Russia, Ukraine, Eurasia in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Policy, for consultations which confirmed the excellent cooperation and strategic partnership between Croatia and the US.
Krstičević underscored that the US was a key strategic partner to Croatia in the area of defence and security and thanked the US for its donations and support in the development of capabilities, the press release said.
Cooper claimed that Croatia is a respectable member of NATO and a key factor of stability and security in the region. She congratulated Krstičević on being inducted into the United States Army War College’s Hall of Fame and underscored that that was great recognition for Croatia.
The US official especially thanked Croatia for its contribution to the system of NATO’s collective security and for Croatia’s efforts in equipping and modernising its Armed Forces, which in particular refers to the government’s decision to procure F-16 Barak fighter jets, the press release said.
