The U.S. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, who received Croatian Prime Minister Dr. Ivo Sanader, said after their meeting that he supported Croatia's bid to join NATO and announced that at its forthcoming summit in the Latvian capital of Riga, the alliance would send a message that it was interested in its further expansion.
WASHINGTON, October 18, 2006. - The U.S. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, who on Tuesday received Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, said after their meeting that he supported Croatia's bid to join NATO and announced that at its forthcoming summit in the Latvian capital of Riga, the alliance would send a message that it was interested in its further expansion.
After his talks with PM Sanader in Washington, Rumsfeld told reporters that he was impressed by the ongoing defence reform in Croatia and said the United States was willing to offer all the necessary assistance to Croatia so as to meet the NATO membership criteria as soon as possible.
Describing the talks as very fruitful, Sanader said that Croatia deeply believed in trans-Atlantic partnership which was why it would like to become a member of the European Union and NATO.
He added that they had also discussed 'unfinished jobs in the region' including attempts to define the status of Kosovo and planned constitutional reforms in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Sanader said that it was also in the interest of both Croatia and the United States to see that southeastern Europe enjoys permanent stability.
Secretary Rumsfeld praised Croatia for its contribution to NATO-led mission in Afghanistan and UN missions worldwide.
Asked whether the United States would like Croatia to increase its contingent in Afghanistan, Rumsfeld, said his country would welcome this move but it was entirely up to Croatia to decide.
Asked whether he and Sanader had talked about the article 98 of the agreement stipulating non-extradition of American soldiers to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Rumsfled that they had not discussed the matter this time and that the United States would like to sign the said agreement as this is also a possibility envisaged by the ICC statute.
Sanader invited Rumsfeld to visit agin Croatia after he was there two years ago.
At the end of his three-day visit to Washington, Sanader will be received by U.S Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Sanader was received by President George W. Bush. On that occasion Bush said it was in the world's interest that Croatia joined the European Union and NATO. "To that end, when I go to Riga, I will make the case that Croatia should be admitted. It seems like a reasonable date would be 2008," he added.
Press releases
