SLOVAKIA: FOREIGN MINISTER HOLDS LECTURE ON CRO. ROLE IN EUROPE

BRATISLAVA, Feb 28 (Hina) - Croatia actively promotes peace, security and cooperation in the three regions it is part of - the Mediterranean, Central, and South Eastern Europe, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said in Bratislava on Thursday. He was speaking about Croatia's contribution to the new European security structure at a lecture held at the Slovakian Association for Foreign Affairs. Croatia's activity involves bilateral and regional cooperation, as well as active participation in numerous regional institutions and forums. Directly or indirectly, all activities focus on the promotion of regional stability, said Picula, adding Croatia acted towards that goal also through internal reforms. In the months ahead the Croatian government intends to implement a broad and well-defined national defence reform programme, aimed at increasing Croatia's compatibility with NATO standards and proving that further reductions of the number of soldiers in the region are realistic and necessary, said Picula. Croatia is investing a lot of effort in combating new security threats, like organised crime, illegal trade and migrations, especially in light of the fact that one of the most delicate and most frequent organised crime routes crosses or passes near Croatia, he added. Croatia's strategic objective is joining the European Union and NATO, and many positive results have been achieved in this regard in the past couple of years, said Picula. All of Croatia's activities are aimed at improving its European prospects, its standing in the region, as well as at assuming its share of responsibility for the broader European security and cooperation, and the building of a new security architecture in the united Europe of the future, he concluded. (hina) ha sb