Speaking to the press in a break of a conference on the Croatian Navy, Kotromanovic said it would have an important role in the Armed Forces "and we must support it to be stronger and better than it is now."
He said the Adriatic Sea was crucial for Croatia, which must know how to ensure its interest, notably upon accession to the European Union, and how to defend itself from terrorism, trafficking in weapons of mass destruction, and radical ideas.
The minister wondered if upon Croatia's EU entry Italy might shift the focus of its engagement from the Strait of Otranto to the Mediterranean, leaving it up to Croatia to guard the area.
He said a tender for five Coast Guard boats would be advertised in a couple of days and that they would be designed and built in Croatia. The first boat would cost a dozen million euros and the rest a little less.
The minister said long-term plans envisaged other types of naval ships, but that this would depend "on budgetary projections in the next eight years." Asked by the press if EU funds could be used for this purpose, he said "not at the moment, unfortunately."
Asked if NATO might help finance the Coast Guard boats, Kotromanovic said no.
He underlined the importance of modernising the military.
Asked about military facilities that were not in use, he said more than 300 buildings and more than 40 million square metres of land had been turned over to local communities, but that "only a small percentage" had been put to use.