BRIJUNI BRIJUNI, Sept 1 (Hina) - Croatian parliament's Committee on Internal Affairs and National Security convened on the northern Adriatic island of Brijuni Monday afternoon to debate integrated security and the fight against
terrorism.
BRIJUNI, Sept 1 (Hina) - Croatian parliament's Committee on
Internal Affairs and National Security convened on the northern
Adriatic island of Brijuni Monday afternoon to debate integrated
security and the fight against terrorism. #L#
The session will end on September 4 and is attended by senior
Croatian and international officials, including President Stjepan
Mesic, Defence Minister Zeljka Antunovic, Foreign Minister Tonino
Picula and Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Josip Lucic.
Senior NATO officials in charge of Europe, officials of Europe's
defence and national security council and of Geneva's Arms Control
Institute have also been invited.
Opening the session, parliament president Zlatko Tomcic said
"Croatia will continue to use its stability and international
involvement in the fight against terrorism to contribute to peace
and security in the world and the region, which can eradicate
terrorism."
The director of NATO's parliamentary assembly committee on
politics, Steffan Sachs, said NATO was aware of the fact that
Croatia wished to join the alliance and added NATO wanted to help
Croatia in its efforts to do so.
Although it has not yet received an invitation, NATO's doors are
open to Croatia, Sachs said.
The chairman of the Croatian parliamentary committee, Ante Markov,
said that although the situation in Croatia's immediate
surroundings was stable, potential hot spots which could
negatively affect the country's security and stability still
existed.
"The position of the Croat people in neighbouring countries is a
significant element in understanding national security. Serbia and
Montenegro, which was established as a result of internal political
changes in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, no longer represents
a direct threat to security, but rather, a potential partner,
despite the fact that in the past ten years it had been the main
cause of regional instability," Markov said.
Addressing the session, the vice-president of the Western European
Union Assembly, Jean Pol Henry, announced a conference on the EU's
future role in the areas of security and defence, with an emphasis
on security in Europe and stability in the Near East, which will be
held in Milan.
(hina) lml sb