BRUSSELS, March 22 (Hina) - A Croatian government delegation on Monday held talks with NATO's military/political management committee on the ongoing reform in the Croatian army aimed at adjusting it to standards of the
Alliance.
BRUSSELS, March 22 (Hina) - A Croatian government delegation on Monday
held talks with NATO's military/political management committee on the
ongoing reform in the Croatian army aimed at adjusting it to standards
of the Alliance.#L#
The delegation, consisting of Assistant Defence Minister Jelena
Polic-Grcic, National Co-ordinator for NATO Pjer Simunovic and
Assistant Finance Minister Niko Raic, held talks with deputy chiefs of
missions of NATO member-states on harmonising a report on Croatia
within Planning and Review Process (PARP).
Previous objections by NATO experts about the territorial concept of
Croatia's armed forces, and the division in four corps which made them
incompatible with the alliance, were removed from the agenda after the
political decision (by Croatia's leadership) was made regarding the
reform in the army, Polic-Grcic told reporters after the talks.
Some 20 days ago, President Stjepan Mesic, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader
and Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic reached agreement in principle
on main points which would serve as a basis for the further
re-organisation of the military in the next two years.
Under the new organisations, the army will be comprised of the Supreme
Command, the ground forces, the navy and the air force, the joint
command for operations, the logistics command, the military academy
and the command for training. The territorial division into four corps
would be annulled and mobile forces would be set up.
The agreement achieved at the top political level is of the historical
importance, Polic-Grgcic said.
She added that a decision on the number of troops and on their
equipment had not yet been made but there were some approximate
figures.
She said that a strategy for the review of the defence, a document
offering solutions for the future organisation of the armed forces and
the defence ministry, was being compiled
In the coming days the government will receive a draft of basic tasks
and missions of the armed forces and this will help in decision-making
on the make-up of the armed forces and the number of soldiers, she
said.
(Hina) ms