1 Mar. 2005

President of Croatia visits NATO News 28/02/2005 - NATO Visit to NATO by the President of Croatia, Mr. Stjepan Mesic Topics NATO's Membership Action Plan Opinions 01/03/2005 - NATO Transcript of the point de presse Multimedia 01/03/2005 - NATO High resolution photos of the visit 01/03/2005 - NATO Audio file of the point de presse (.MP3/6010Kb) Stjepan Mesic, the President of Croatia, visited NATO HQ on 1 March to discuss with NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Croatia’s progress in the Membership Action Plan. The Secretary General and President Mesic reviewed key areas of the Plan, including defence reform, the return of refugees, and cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. More progress necessary “Progress has been made, … we also know that in a number of areas more progress will be absolutely necessary,” Mr. De Hoop Scheffer told reporters after the meeting. He said that he hoped Croatia soon would be able to spend two percent of its GDP on defence, which would make the reform process easier. He also said that the arrest of General Gotovina, indicted for war crimes, remained a priority for both NATO and the European Union. The Secretary General praised Croatia for its participation in and support for NATO-led operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo. The Membership Action Plan (MAP) is a NATO programme of advice, assistance and practical support tailored to the individual needs of countries wishing to join the Alliance.