The visit was organised by the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence Command as part of an international military cooperation plan.
This is the first time such a numerous NATO delegation, including 10 generals, has visited Croatia, said the State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Mate Raboteg. This is also the first time our capabilities of joining NATO are being reviewed, he added.
Responding to journalists' questions, Raboteg said that the visit had nothing to do with rumours that a NATO base would be set up at Zemunik. "There will be no NATO base here. There will only be some air bases in Croatia that will be included in military exercises," he said.
Raboteg rejected a reporter's allegation that the situation in the Croatian Air Force was disastrous, saying that "the Air Force is one of the Defence Ministry's concerns."
"We will try to improve the situation, and the hardware is in a better state than it was last year. The Air Force is the branch of the Armed Forces we intend to develop," he added.