Alternative solutions do not rule out the possibility of Croatia joining NATO, but they would give citizens the freedom of choice, it was said at the event, organised by the foundation "Heinrich Boell".
Participants in the event agreed that the issue of security and NATO membership were increasingly important also because of environmental concerns. They agreed that a referendum on NATO membership was not the key issue, but that the public should have a say on that strategic decision.
Independent political analyst Davor Gjenero said that the key issue was whether civil society and free individuals in Croatia would have the possibility to open a debate on this matter, which he said would be possible only in the upcoming election campaign.
Vlatko Cvrtila from the Office of the President pointed to the problem of presentation of the accession process and lack of a debate on that issue.
Croatia can benefit from NATO membership through the sale of weapons, a higher level of security, stability in the region, and more foreign investments, while the drawbacks of NATO membership are additional risk, joint exercises and restricted decision-making regarding security issues, Cvrtila said.
Srdjan Dvornik of the environmentalist organisation "Zeleni za Zagreb" said that membership of NATO would make the process of decision-making much harder for the local community and that the government would be able to use NATO as a pretext for its decisions.
Civil associations also urged more transparency and greater involvement of citizens in the process of admission to Euro-Atlantic associations.