ZAGREB, April 13 (Hina) - Croatian Defence Minister Pavao Miljavac on Tuesday received the chief-of staff of the Slovene Army's headquarters, Lieutenant General Iztok Podbregar. After the meeting, held behind the closed doors in
Zagreb, General Podbregar and the head of the Croatian Army Main Staff, Vice Admiral Davor Domazet, told reporters that Tuesday's meeting and announced coming talks would be very important for the further cooperation between the armed forces of the two neighbouring countries. It is certain that today's talks would create a new path in the dialogue on security and in the exchange of experience, Domazet said. The Croatian Army, with its new organisation, presents a new force of the modern army, which can meet defence requirements and be included into the Partnership for Peace and the NATO as well as develop friendly relations with the Slovene armed forces, he said. He a
ZAGREB, April 13 (Hina) - Croatian Defence Minister Pavao Miljavac
on Tuesday received the chief-of staff of the Slovene Army's
headquarters, Lieutenant General Iztok Podbregar.
After the meeting, held behind the closed doors in Zagreb, General
Podbregar and the head of the Croatian Army Main Staff, Vice Admiral
Davor Domazet, told reporters that Tuesday's meeting and announced
coming talks would be very important for the further cooperation
between the armed forces of the two neighbouring countries.
It is certain that today's talks would create a new path in the
dialogue on security and in the exchange of experience, Domazet
said.
The Croatian Army, with its new organisation, presents a new force
of the modern army, which can meet defence requirements and be
included into the Partnership for Peace and the NATO as well as
develop friendly relations with the Slovene armed forces, he said.
He added that the experience of Slovene colleagues in admittance
into the Partnership for Peace and peace keeping operations would
be very useful for Croatia.
The Slovene representative, General Iztok Podbregar stressed that
a significant part of strategic orientations of the both countries
is identical in many things.
Podbregar said the programme of the bilateral cooperation for this
year would be directed toward the establishment of the permanent
dialogue on security between his country and Croatia, the exchange
of experience in education and training of the military and in many
other areas.
This year, Croatia's military attach? is to be accredited in
Slovenia.
We will also work on the conclusion of an agreement on the bilateral
military cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia, Podbregar said
adding that this agreement would be a good basis for the
establishment of cooperation along the border between similar
units of the two armies. According the European and Slovene
experiences in the military cooperation with Hungary, Italy and
Austria, it can contribute to the establishment of the security
dialogues, he said.
Podbregar reiterated an official invitation for Domazet to visit
Slovenia.
Asked by a reporter when the Slovenian Army would retreat from Sveta
Gera which is undoubtedly Croatian territory, Podbregar said he
could not give an answer since it was a political question. Soldiers
deployed at Trdinov Vrh are there only to protect facilities which
the Slovene Army took from the then Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in
1990. The issue will be solved to the mutual satisfaction when
conditions are met, Podbregar added.
Domazet recalled that open issues were being solved by commissions
for the determination of the state borders.
Domazet said in response to a journalist's question that today's
meeting revolved around the Kosovo crisis as well and that both
sides had identical stands on the matter.
(hina) jn ms