NATO HQ 6 Dec. 2000

Address by His Excellency Jozo Rado Minister of Defence of the Republic of Croatia at the EAPC in Defence Ministers Session Mr. Secretary General, Your Excellencies, Dear Friends, It is a pleasure for me to address this distinguished audience once again. I believe the EAPC Defence Ministerial sessions to be an important forum for political dialogue and co-operation. I will give you a brief assessment of our efforts to date, and more importantly, I aim to emphasise the "way ahead" regarding our commitment to the Alliance and Partnership in the years to come. The greater part of our effort is aimed at internal development (political, social and economic) and contributing to peace and security in the greater area. At the June 2000 Defence Ministerial, I stressed how Croatia can help foster peace in Bosnia and encourage democratic reforms in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). I also mentioned how a major defence reform process was underway. Much has happened since then and Croatia remains a success story in the Euro-Atlantic family. Partnership for Peace Activities Let me begin by focusing on Croatia's activities in the Partnership. Since joining PfP in May of this year, Croatia has: · participated in some 60 PfP activities to date, including participation in military exercises and acting as a host nation for two NATO sponsored seminars-Democratic Control over the Armed Forces and Transparency in Defence Planning and Budgeting (these seminars were financially supported by the governments of The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, respectively); I have to mention two seminars which were held before Croatia's admittance to PfP, and at which over 30 Croatian participants were present: Civil Military Cooperation in Florence, Italy and Civil Emergency Planning in Balaton, Hungary developed its PfP Presentation Document and its first Individual Partnership Program (IPP) for 2001/2002; joined the Planning and Review Process (PARP) by completing the Survey of Overall PfP Interoperability; designated an office in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for the PfP programme and has already established the core element of its mission to NATO. In our Presentation Document, clearly outlining how we view our future co-operation with NATO, we expressed our goals and willingness to share in the common commitment of security building in our region and in Europe as a whole. Croatia plans to more than double its' PfP activities in 2001, both in scope and quality, and is willing to allocate the necessary resources towards that end. In addition to its PfP activities, Croatia continually exercises a robust set of bilateral programmes on a yearly basis. It's our intention now to complement our bilateral military co-operation with a rich PfP programme of activities. We have already held several joint exercises with the United States and will look to be particularly active in military exercises. Croatia is keen on continuing its participation in PARP beyond the survey and looks forward to establishing its first set of Partnership Goals. We expect that participation in PARP will be instrumental in helping us achieve greater interoperability between our armed forces and those of NATO. Croatia's strategic objective is to join NATO. Thus, our short-term goal is to participate in NATO's Membership Action Plan in early 2001. Croatia is certainly aware of the effort and resources needed to subscribe to the Alliance. Given our commitment, we are confident that this can be achieved relatively quickly and stand ready to make the necessary commitments. The Enhanced and More Operational Partnership represents an important mechanism for making PfP a programme tailored towards individual needs and overall goals. In Croatia's case, it is to become a full-fledged NATO member. We fully support all the planned activities in the next six months, aimed at further enhancing the PfP, and we intend to be very active in the process of developing the Partnership. Greater involvement of partners in consultations, planning and decision making within the Alliance, particularly concerning NATO-led PfP operations, is of paramount importance to Partners like Croatia and will prove quite beneficial to the Alliance. Defence Reforms Croatia is also continuing with across the board defence reforms. Just recently, our parliament has adopted constitutional amendments that will strengthen parliamentary democracy in Croatia and help reinforce transparency and democratic control mechanisms. These changes were extensively debated and long awaited since the new government was elected. The next legislative changes are soon expected in two basic defence laws (Law on Defence and Law on Service in the Armed Forces) and in the introduction of a new law on international operations. The later, particularly significant because of Croatia's intent to increase its international presence in peace support operations. In addition to organisational restructuring in the MOD and the armed forces, reforms also include a change in the way we approach defence planning and other processes. It will not be-"business as usual." One of our most difficult tasks will result form our commitment to downsize our active and reserve force strength. In this effort, we will look for assistance from our government as well the expertise and any other support from NATO and the Partners. This and a change in conscription will enable Croatia to promote regional confidence, face its future challenges in the new environment and contribute to regional and international security. Co-operative bilateral military activities provide an opportunity to exchange views and ideas, as well as, to participate in international education and training programmes. While bilateral co-operation was the cornerstone for international exchanges and contacts in the past, the PfP framework will represent a new primary domain from which to pool knowledge and experiences. There is no better programme or set of tools that can assist us in this effort than the Partnership for Peace. The available activities, processes and other PfP mechanisms will prove to be invaluable as we continue to implement defence reforms. We intend to transform our defence establishment, particularly our armed forces, so as to be interoperable to the extent possible with defence forces of NATO countries and yet fully capable for assuring national defence. Contributing to Regional Security There is a more meaningful dimension to Croatia's PfP objectives and it involves the stability and security of the greater area. Our past and present support for the NATO led SFOR and KFOR peace operations is widely know by the Allied forces which use our airfields, seaports and bases, or rely on our logistical support and other assistance. Having Croatia in the PfP will strengthen those and other NATO led missions. The South East European Initiative (SEEI) and NATO's support of the Stability Pact is greatly appreciated in the region. Participation in PfP and the MAP process significantly affect individual countries and the entire region, as does the possibility of achieving NATO membership. This is of immeasurable importance as it represents one of the most fundamental aspects of development of democratic societies and enhances regional security and fosters mutual co-operation. Croatia does not intend to be simply a recipient of international assistance. We will look to be a partner and to actively contribute to security and stability in the region. The October opening of the Regional Arms Control, Verification and Implementation Centre (RACVIAC) in Zagreb is a prime example of this philosophy. I should note that this worthwhile initiative could not have been made possible were it not for the role and support of our German friends. As a regional initiative, under the Stability Pact, RACVIAC's aim is to foster greater regional co-operation and transparency in arms control. Croatia is also involved in two other regional initiatives aimed at fostering co-operation and promoting security. Just recently Croatia became a member of the South Eastern Europe Defence Ministerial process (SEDM) and joined Hungary, Italy and Slovenia in a quadrilateral initiative designed to establish a multinational force for peace support operations. Our objective is to participate in multinational formations based on NATO standards and within a regional setting consistent with our national interests. This makes sense given today's complex security challenges and the constraints imposed by limited national resources. A few months ago, Croatia has sent ten new officers to serve in the UN observer mission to Sierra Leone and is exploring the possibility of sending more observers to several other UN missions. The next step is to contribute one or more specially designated units to international operations. The PfP framework and bilateral relations with our NATO friends will be instrumental in this endeavour-including identifying, preparing and deploying units. Co-operation with neighbouring and regional countries is at the forefront of our policy to promote security and stability in the greater area. That is why we welcomed the recent changes in Belgrade, which removed Slobodan Milosevic from power in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. However, the FRY has a long way to go and must demonstrate its commitment to democratic principles and international rule of law in deeds. The new Yugoslav government needs to fully co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague and recognise the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The FRY needs to fully comply with the Dayton agreement, impose transparency in its relations to the Bosnian Serbs and establish co-operation based on institutional links. This is as important for the establishment of normal relations between the FRY and Bosnia as it is between the FRY and Croatia. Also, the future relationship between Serbia and Montenegro should be developed within a peaceful, democratic framework. We will continue to extend confidence-building gestures, promote trust and work with the international community in building these relationships. Croatia fully supports the international community in its efforts to bring about lasting peace to Bosnia and Kosovo. The further democratisation in Serbia and the building of democratic institutions in Bosnia and Kosovo will eventually lead to stability and self-sustained peace. NATO's regional initiatives and peacekeeping efforts are critical in guaranteeing peace and prosperity in South-Eastern Europe. Initiatives such as SEEI provide the additional mechanisms needed for promoting stability and security in the region. Enhancing the Partnership also provides ample opportunities for countries to move forward at their own pace and level. In conclusion, I strongly feel that Croatia shares common goals and objectives with NATO. Thus, even though we realise the difficulties and obstacles in our troubled region, the way ahead is clear. We will do our part in building peace, stability and security in the region. We are grateful to the NATO staff and our NATO friends for the support and encouragement provided to us as we have begun to face the challenges of planning and management in the Partnership for Peace. Thank you for your attention.