The Republic of Croatia has officially presented its Annual National Program (ANP) at the Senior Political Committee reinforced (SPCR) and therefore started the fifth cycle of the Membership Action Plan.
The Republic of Croatia has officially presented its Annual National Program (ANP) at the Senior Political Committee reinforced (SPCR) meeting in Brussels, NATO HQ on October 13th 2006 and therefore started the fifth cycle of the Membership Action Plan. The Annual National Program 2006-2007 also contains the "Communication Management Strategy for Croatia's Accession to NATO" in the annex. Both documents were adopted by the Government of Croatia on September 14th 2006. At the meeting held at NATO HQ and under the Chairmanship of the Assistant Secretary General, Ambassador Martin Erdmann, the ANP was presented by the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration and National Coordinator for NATO Mr. Pjer šimunovic (head of the delegation) and the Assistant Minister of Defense Mr. Igor Pokaz.
In accordance with this year's ANP, it was emphasized that Croatia's priorities in the following period include finalizing the judiciary reform, the implementation of defense reforms set in by the Long-Term Development Plan of Croatian Armed Forces, continuing participation in crisis response Operations, as well as enlarging its contribution, especially in the NATO mission in Afghanistan and particularly improving public relations to ensure public support for Croatia's accession to NATO.
This is reported in the approved "Communication Management Strategy for Croatia's Accession to NATO" as annex to the ANP, which sets the basis for a detailed public relations action plan.
NATO member countries have supported Croatia's membership aspirations, approved the structure and quality of this years Croatian Annual National Program and emphasized that it is expected that the leaders of states and governments send a strong signal to Croatia concerning NATO enlargement, at the upcoming Riga Summit in November this year.
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