Joint press point

So Prime Minister Plenković, welcome to NATO Headquarters.

This is your first visit in your capacity as Prime Minister, to the NATO Headquarters.

And we really appreciate your strong commitment to NATO and all the contributions that Croatia is making to our shared security. Both with the presence and your contributions to our deployments in Lithuania and in Poland. But also the fact that Croatia has troops both in the NATO mission in Afghanistan and in Kosovo and the role you also play in the region helping to address the challenges we all face in the Western Balkans.

Let me also thank you for the support you provide to Ukraine and we think it is extremely important that NATO continues to provide both political and practical support to Ukraine.

So all your efforts help to make NATO strong and it shows that NATO is an Alliance of 29 Allies where we stand together and respond to a more challenging security environment.

We also welcome the fact that Croatia has stopped the cuts in defence spending and has now started to increase investments in defence. We’ve all made a pledge in 2014 to stop the cuts, gradually increase and then move towards spending 2% of GDP on defence. And Croatia has stopped the cuts and started to increase and we welcome that. At the same time we underline the importance of continuing the increase because we need to invest more when we see that the security environment becomes more challenging and difficult.

Let me also then highlight the importance we attach to what Croatia is doing when it comes to helping other neighbours in the Western Balkans to work on their Euro-Atlantic aspirations, NATO’s door is open, we just enlarged last year with Montenegro and we have aspirant countries in the region and we welcome the support and efforts you make to help them.

So once again, welcome, it’s good to have you here.

OANU LUNGESCU [NATO Spokesperson]: Good afternoon.  Thank you for coming.  The Secretary General and the Prime Minister will have short introductory remarks and then they will be happy to take a few questions.  Secretary General.

JENS STOLTENBERG [NATO Secretary General]: So Prime Minister Plenković, welcome to NATO Headquarters.  This is your first visit, in your capacity as Prime Minister, to the NATO Headquarters and we really appreciate your strong commitment to NATO and all the contributions that Croatia is making to our shared security, both with the presence and your contributions to our deployments in Lithuania and in Poland, but also the fact that Croatia has troops both in the NATO mission in Afghanistan and in Kosovo, and the role you also play in the region, helping to address the challenges we all face in the Western Balkans.

Let me also thank you for the support you provide to Ukraine and we think it is extremely important that NATO continue to provide both political and practical support to Ukraine.  So, all your efforts helps to make NATO strong and it shows that NATO is an Alliance of 29 Allies, where we stand together and respond to a more challenging security environment.  We also welcome the fact that Croatia has stopped the cuts in defence spending and has now started to increase investment in defence.  We all made a pledge in 2014, to stop the cuts, gradually increase, and then move towards spending 2% of GDP on defence.  And Croatia has stopped the cuts and started to increase, and we welcome that.  At the same time, we underline the importance of continuing the increase, because we need to invest more when we see that the security environment becomes more challenging and difficult.

Let me also then highlight the importance we attach to what Croatia is doing when it comes to helping other neighbours in the Western Balkans to work on their Euro-Atlantic aspirations.  NATO's door is open.  We just enlarged last year with Montenegro and we have other aspirant countries in the region and we welcome support and efforts you make to help them.  So, once again, welcome.  It's great to have you here.

ANDREJ PLENKOVIĆ [Prime Minister, Republic of Croatia]: Thank you very much, Mr Secretary General, Jens.  This was really a very fruitful and a constructive meeting.  It is a great pleasure for me to be here in the NATO Headquarters and, first of all, once again commit Croatia's strong activity within the Alliance.  The fact that we have been a member now for nine years, in the beginning of April it will be exactly nine years of our membership.  Throughout this period, I think we have demonstrated a clear solidarity within the… with our Allies, that we have been present in the NATO missions and operations, you mentioned yourself our long standing participation in the mission in Afghanistan, as well as in Kosovo, but also recent deployment of our troops, both in Poland and Lithuania.

We are all preparing for the NATO Summit which will take place in Brussels in July, and I believe it is important that we agree on the main direction of strengthening the concept of the collective security, deterrence, as well as burden sharing among Allies, and most of all our progress in obtaining the Wales objective that is going towards 2% of expenditure when it comes to defence.  The Croatian government, in the last year and four or five months that we have been in office, has demonstrated very clearly, both in our budget of 2017 and 2018, that Croatia is increasing its defence budget.  The objective is to increase our capabilities, to be interoperable and to be ready to respond to all the challenges and threats that we might be facing as a country, but also that we might be facing as an Alliance.

Another important aspect is that my government has, in the first year of our member… of our mandate, adopted new national security strategy and the new law on homeland security, thus creating a clear, strategic and legislative framework for better coordination of the stakeholders in the security and defence domain.  We care about our neighbourhood.  We would be very keen that the countries which are aspiring to become members of NATO, especially Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Macedonia, where I hope that there will be a solution to the name issue, and I welcome the progress of the talks between Prime Ministers of Greece and of course, with the new Prime Minister in Skopje, Mr Zaev, and I think we have some good signals coming up.  And of course, from that point of view, Croatia will very much support and welcome the membership of Macedonia in the Alliance, once this issue is addressed.  We also are strengthening our relationship with Serbia and watching carefully how the process of the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo is progressing.

When it comes to the relationship between NATO and European Union, we know what the role… strategic role NATO has for Europe's security.  We are also understanding the evolution, in terms of strengthening the defence and security dimension of the European Union, without duplication, but with strong, complementarity and the increased dialogue between the two Brussels based organisations.

I think you for this opportunity.  It would be our pleasure if, sometime soon, we would be again happy to welcome you in Croatia.  Thanks.

OANU LUNGESCU [NATO Spokesperson]: OK, we'll start with the lady over there.  Croatian TV.

QUESTION [CROATIAN TV]: Yeah, hello.   Croatian Television.  Mr Secretary General, are you satisfied with the speed how Croatia is increasing its budget on defence and would you have any recommendation in this regard?  And Mr Prime Minister, did you discuss the national… Croatian national plan with the Secretary General, on reorganisation of Croatian Army and when it will be submitted or presented to the NATO countries?  Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBERG [NATO Secretary General]: So, we welcome that Croatia has started to increase defence spending and that is important, partly because it provides funding for capabilities and investments in the Croatian armed forces, but also because it shows that we stand together and we implement what we decided in 2014, which was to stop the cuts and then increase defence spending, and move towards spending 2% of GDP.  NATO Allies did not promise to be at 2% within the year, but we promised to move towards 2%, and I welcome most the fact that back in 2014 it was only three Allies that met the 2% pledge, and so spending 2% of GDP on defence, this year we expect eight Allies and, in their national plans they have provided to NATO, the majority of NATO Allies have pledged to reach the 2% target.  But I welcome that Croatia, after years of decline, now is increasing defence spending.  And I expect Croatia to continue on this development and continue to increase defence spending in years to come.

ANDREJ PLENKOVIĆ [Prime Minister, Republic of Croatia]: If I may just briefly answer.  We didn’t go into detail of our strategic defence review, but the Ministry of Defence has finalised the proposal.  Very soon, it will be presented to our Council for Defence, and after that it will go for the further adoption at the level of the government.  You know that if there is a domain where we have shown a very dynamic activity, it has certainly been security and defence, and especially turning our focus to the Croatian soldier, his position, not only within the armed forces, but also within the society.  And in my many contacts together with the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, I can tell you that this new vibration is visible within the armed forces and our participation in all the international operations is appreciated by our partners and Allies.  And therefore, the fact that we are now at the 1.32% is a signal and the increase is likely to continue, of course with our hopes that the Croatian economy will continue to grow as it is growing in 2017.  And you are all aware of the data.

OANU LUNGESCU [NATO Spokesperson]: Second and last question, gentleman over there.

QUESTION: [Croatian 1 TV]:  The first question both to Secretary General and Prime Minister: did you discuss any specific detail when you were discussing the security issues of the region?  Perhaps the condition in Bosnia and Jihadi fighters going to the Middle East and coming back, or Kosovo, and Russian influence in the region, and how does it… what are the consequences to the security of the region?  And another question to Mr Prime Minister: fighter jets.  Did you touch that issue as well?  And where is that?  Considering that procedure, where is Croatia with that?  Thank you.

JENS STOLTENBERG [NATO Secretary General]: So, the Prime Minister updated me on his assessments on the situation in the region and the developments in the different countries in the regions which are not members of the Alliance, and I appreciate that very much, because it was a informative update on the situation in the countries in the region.  We of course follow the developments in the Western Balkans very closely because NATO has a history in the Balkan… in the Western Balkans.  We have helped end two wars there, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and later on in Serbia and Kosovo, and we have presence there with our KFOR Force in Kosovo, but also with our Headquarters in Sarajevo and presence also in Skopje, and Serbia is a close partner.

I also welcome the fact that we have been able to then enlarge the Alliance with Montenegro, we did so last year, and we are working with other aspirant countries in the region.  We have seen the reports about increased Russian presence and also attempts to meddle or interfere in domestic political processes.  Of course, any kind of outside interference is unacceptable and therefore it is important that all countries in the region, as other NATO Allies, have to make sure that they are resilient and are able to respond to different attempts to try to meddle in domestic processes.

ANDREJ PLENKOVIĆ [Prime Minister, Republic of Croatia]: We of course discussed extensively and exchanged views about the situation in our neighbourhood, especially in the four countries which are not yet members of NATO; two of them with a clearly-defined ambition, and one of them not having this ambition at this stage, and one of them not being able to fulfil this ambition.

I explained to the Secretary General the level of the dynamics and the intensity of relationship that we have with all our neighbours, where we would be very much welcoming that Macedonia follows the steps of Montenegro.  I think that would stabilise, on the long run, the country's position and put on track the entire reform processes.  And also the fact that Croatia is keen to resolve all the remaining issues that are somehow residual from the times of the beginning of the 90s with the other neighbours and contribute to the stability and the quality of all three peoples, in Bosnia and Herzegovina – especially the Croats who are the least numerous by numbers, but should be and are equal in terms of their constitutional rights, especially given the forthcoming elections in October.

When it comes to the fighter jets, of course the Secretary General is aware that my government has been the first government in many years, after long debates, who did not hesitate a second on the necessity to acquire the capabilities, when it comes to the air capabilities of the Croatian military forces.  The process which we call G2G bids is coming to a close.  We have examined all the offers that have finally been addressed to the Ministry of Defence, who has been conducting this process, and in the next few weeks the final decisions will be published.  So, we are close to the end of that process.  It's a long term strategic decision that will position Croatia as an even more reliable NATO partner, but also it will increase our own security and solve the issues of Croatian air force for the next 30 years.  So, it is not a decision that should not be taken with due care and all aspects being considered.

OANU LUNGESCU [NATO Spokesperson]: Thank you very much.  This concludes this press point.  Thank you.