Minister Gordan Jandroković participated in International Conference on Afghanistan

The conference was held under the auspices of the UN and the governments of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a continuation of the thematic conferences on Afghanistan held 2001 in Bonn, 2006 in London, and 2008 in Paris.

In his speech, Minister Jandroković expressed Croatia’s dedication to the efforts of the international community in building security and an efficient central authority in Afghanistan. “In that regard, Croatia is and will continue to contribute to the ISAF peacekeeping mission, which currently sees 283 members of the Croatian contingent”, said Jandroković, adding that the ISAF engagement is Croatia’s largest contribution to any peacekeeping mission.

“Croatia is especially interested in taking part in the building of such a system that would give Afghanistan internal security and an independent state governance. To that end, Croatia will send two additional mentor teams for police and armed forces training”, said Jandroković.

Speaking about development assistance for the reconstruction of Afghanistan’s infrastructure, he said that Croatia is already carrying out several projects and is considering offering additional assistance, pointing out the three-year specialization program for Afghan doctors in Croatia.

Conclusively, Minister Jandroković emphasized the importance of this and next year’s free and transparent presidential and parliamentary elections in Afghanistan, which will be the best proof of the development of democratic institutions and the respect for fundamental human rights.

Speeches were also held by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Afghan President Hamid Karzai.