BRITISH DEFENCE SECRETARY REPS VISIT CRO DEFENCE MINISTRY

ZAGREB, May 25 (Hina) - A delegation of the British Defence Secretary headed by director of the sector for central and eastern Europe, Stephen Pollard, was on Tuesday received by the Croatian Deputy Defence Minister Kresimir Cosic. This is the first working meeting between the two delegations. The meeting was very useful and significant, considering the future not only of the military but also Croatian-British cooperation, Cosic said after the talks. "The focus of the cooperation will be on training, as well as analyses of security issues which pose challenges in this region," Cosic added. The talks focused on Croatia's security policy, views and intentions of accession into the Partnership for Peace programme and NATO, Pollard said. Adding the United Kingdom supported Croatia in these efforts, he added. Pollard said the talks with Cosic also tackled the importance of defence diplomacy, preventive diplomacy. The goal is to amend what had happened in the past and to make sure the tragedies do not happen in the future, he said. Present at the meeting were also British Ambassador to Croatia, Collin Munro and military attache, Lieutenant Colonel Simon Cleveland. (hina) lml