ZAGREB, April 29 (Hina) - Belgian Armed Forces Chief of Staff General August Van Dael visited Croatian Armed Forces General Headquarters on Thursday where he met Chief of Staff General Josip Lucic for talks on military cooperation and
an exchange of experience regarding the reorganisation of military forces.
ZAGREB, April 29 (Hina) - Belgian Armed Forces Chief of Staff General
August Van Dael visited Croatian Armed Forces General Headquarters on
Thursday where he met Chief of Staff General Josip Lucic for talks on
military cooperation and an exchange of experience regarding the
reorganisation of military forces.#L#
Lucic told reporters after the meeting that Van Dael's visit confirmed
the development of friendly relations between the two countries' armed
forces. He said that Croatia had "an important mission in Belgium"
whose staff would increase in number as Croatia drew closer to full
membership of NATO.
Lucic said that they also discussed cooperation in training and that
he would inform the Belgian side of the process of military reform in
Croatia and ask them for their advice and assessment.
Van Dael said that the armed forces of the two countries shared many
interests, that the Belgian armed forces had undergone reorganisation
and that their experience could be compared to that of the Croatian
forces.
The Belgian guest said that he and Lucic also discussed security in
the region, adding that this was very important for Belgium because
its troops were participating in the UN peacekeeping mission in
Kosovo.
If and when the European Union takes over the SFOR mission in
Bosnia-Herzegovina from NATO, Belgium will also have a role in that
process, Van Dael said.
(Hina) vm