Seks said Croatia was firmly committed to joining NATO as swiftly as possible because it expected membership of the collective system of security to provide permanent protection to itself and its citizens, notably in light of Croatia's geopolitical position and the current security situation.
Seks told Erdmann that all parliamentary parties supported Croatia's NATO entry but said the public opinion on this oscillated, as it did regarding accession to the European Union. He added that a communication strategy would therefore be devised to inform the public.
Erdmann said he understood such reservations. He underlined that as an inter-government organisation, NATO respected the sovereignty and independence of every one of its member states, which he added made their decisions autonomously, without pressure. He said that many member states were not involved in the Iraq war.
Erdmann also underlined the unavoidable role of member states' parliaments in the decision-making process regarding NATO operations.
Earlier today Erdmann was received by President Stjepan Mesic and also held talks with Marija Pejcinovic-Buric, the state secretary for European integration at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration.