ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - Croatian Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic has said after a meeting with NATO's deputy assistant secretary-general for political affairs, Robert F. Simmons, that he is pleased with the assessment that Croatia
has made considerable progress in adjusting its armed forces to NATO standards.
ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - Croatian Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic has
said after a meeting with NATO's deputy assistant secretary-general
for political affairs, Robert F. Simmons, that he is pleased with the
assessment that Croatia has made considerable progress in adjusting
its armed forces to NATO standards.#L#
"Croatia truly wants to complete the process of adjustment and we
expect the Istanbul summit in June to state that it is proceeding in
the right direction in adjusting its armed forces and that it enjoys
strong support," Roncevic said after meeting Simmons in Zagreb on
Wednesday. Simmons is heading a NATO delegation on a three-day visit
to Croatia.
NATO is looking forward to presenting a positive report on Croatia's
candidacy in Istanbul, Simmons said.
It is important for Croatia to continue the reform of its armed forces
so that they could be compatible with NATO and to work towards making
the public aware that the role of the armed forces, apart from
protecting national interests, is to contribute to security in the
world in light of new threats, such as terrorism, Simmons said.
He said it was difficult to say when Croatia would join NATO because
the Alliance did not have a uniform model for admission, nor uniform
deadlines. The NATO official reiterated the importance of the process
of adjustment of the Croatian armed forces to NATO standards.
During their visit to Croatia, the NATO officials will review and
assess the process of reorganisation and adjustment of the armed
forces to NATO standards.
(Hina) rml sb