ZAGREB, March 31, 2019 – The President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Madeleine Moon, visited the northern Croatian town of Varaždin on Sunday on the occasion of the 10th anniversary since Croatia joined the alliance.
Moon and parliamentary delegations of NATO member states, who had met in Zagreb for a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Standing Committee on Friday and Saturday, were hosted by Varaždin County Prefect Radimir Čačić, who showed them the historical sights of the town and spoke of its past and present.
Moon said that Saturday was a working day for the delegation, when they discussed the alliance’s activity and Croatian views which were presented by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, while Sunday was reserved for getting to know the member state.
She said it is important to visit towns like Varadžin and feel the cultural roots of member states to remind oneself what the alliance defends and why it safeguards peace, freedom and security for its member states.
Miroslav Tuđman, the head of the Croatian Parliament Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, said: “NATO is not just a military alliance but also a community of states that share the same values. Varaždin is a good example showing the continuity of Croatian statehood and cultural heritage. We can be proud to be able to show this aspect to the members of the Standing Committee so that they can see that we have a far longer tradition both in culture and in statehood than some other members.”
Čačić presented Varaždin County as one of the most industrially developed regions in Croatia and one that absorbs the most funding from the European Union. He said that last year his county participated in NATO’s IT-assisted military exercise programme.
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