DUBROVNIK, March 22 (Hina) - Defence Minister Jozo Rados on Thursday spoke about reforms in the Croatian Armed Forces at a NATO Parliamentary Assembly seminar on security and stability on central and eastern Europe, which took place
in the southern Adriatic city of Dubrovnik. Speaking about Croatia's surroundings, Rados said there were presently no direct threats to Croatia's survival and vital state interests. He conceded, however, there were other equally dangerous threats, like economic and political tension, the non-respect of human rights, ethnic and religious intolerance, corruption, and illegal migration. The minister assessed recent developments in Bosnia and Kosovo indicated a lasting solution was distant, and that conflicts on the Macedonia-Kosovo border might expand and cause new clashes. Speaking about military reform, Rados said the situation in the surrounding area and the events affecting secu
DUBROVNIK, March 22 (Hina) - Defence Minister Jozo Rados on
Thursday spoke about reforms in the Croatian Armed Forces at a NATO
Parliamentary Assembly seminar on security and stability on
central and eastern Europe, which took place in the southern
Adriatic city of Dubrovnik.
Speaking about Croatia's surroundings, Rados said there were
presently no direct threats to Croatia's survival and vital state
interests. He conceded, however, there were other equally
dangerous threats, like economic and political tension, the non-
respect of human rights, ethnic and religious intolerance,
corruption, and illegal migration.
The minister assessed recent developments in Bosnia and Kosovo
indicated a lasting solution was distant, and that conflicts on the
Macedonia-Kosovo border might expand and cause new clashes.
Speaking about military reform, Rados said the situation in the
surrounding area and the events affecting security in the region
must be taken into account. Croatia is willing to further reduce
military potentials in the region and will not obstruct
negotiations on cuts in the military limit as envisaged in the
Dayton peace accords, he said.
The military reform is beyond question, it must be all-encompassing
and include changes in the organisation and size of the Armed Forces
and the Defence Ministry, changes in working methods and the
establishment of new and standard procedures, and changes in the
defence legislation.
(hina) ha sb