Other participants included NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and representatives of the US-Adriatic Charter member countries – foreign ministers of the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, and the US ambassador to Montenegro
Other participants included NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and representatives of the US-Adriatic Charter member countries – foreign ministers of the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Macedonia, and the US ambassador to Montenegro. Also participating were the representatives of the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Kosovo as observer countries.
Today's meeting marked the end of the six-month Montenegrin presidency over the US-Adriatic Charter, and the ministers focused on the current Euro-Atlantic trends in South East Europe and other topics. They also discussed further modes of joint regional involvement with respect to mentor projects under the ISAF operation in Afghanistan, with special emphasis on the Croatian initiative which was launched in the Military Police School in Kabul.
NATO Secretary General Rasmussen expressed special gratitude to minister Jandroković and the Republic of Croatia for leading this regional project which contributes to stability in Afghanistan.
Minister Jandroković congratulated the Montenegrin hosts on the organisation of the meeting and excellent presidency over the US-Adriatic Charter. He said that the US-Adriatic Charter has succeeded in profiling itself as the pillar of support and leader in the Euro-Atlantic aspirations of the region, and has played a crucial role in the preparation of Albania and Croatia for NATO membership. He expressed his belief that Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro will equally benefit from their participation in the forum.
Recalling the common end goal of long-term stability and political consolidation of South East Europe into the Euro-Atlantic framework, the minister stressed the key role of NATO in supporting these processes in the region, which also have the full support of the Republic of Croatia. He also expressed his satisfaction with the participation of the NATO Secretary General in today’s meeting which demonstrates NATO’s clear commitment towards achieving full stability and security in South East Europe.
Minister Jandroković highlighted that Croatia will be technically closing the negotiation process for membership in the EU the following day, which is good news for both Croatia and the region, and demonstrates that it is possible to overcome enlargement fatigue by implementing reforms in a consistent manner.
With regard to participation in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, the minister said that the Republic of Croatia continues to focus on training and professionalization of Afghani security forces, with more than half of the Croatian contingent in the ISAF mission involved in these activities. He thanked the partner countries, especially Montenegro, for the support and momentum given to the joint regional project in Afghanistan – the Military Police School in Kabul. He concluded that participation in international operations not only contributes to global safety, but also helps in developing national capabilities, strengthens interoperability and brings the aspiring countries closer to NATO standards.
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