NATO provides Croatia with long-term security

Croatia on Friday marked the 10th anniversary since joining NATO, with senior officials saying that the alliance's defence umbrella ensured long-term stability for the country.

Croatia became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on 1 April 2009 together with Albania, becoming one of the greatest advocates of NATO's eastward expansion.

Since NATO's establishment in 1949, the number of its members has increased from 12 to 29, with Montenegro joining in the seventh enlargement round in 2017 as the newest member.

Since 2003, over 6,700 Croatian soldiers have participated in NATO-led operations, missions and activities.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said that Croatia had proved to be a reliable ally and would continue its present policy. "It's good for our security and our contribution to security both regionally and globally," he said.

Last year Croatia increased its defence budget to 1.7 percent of GDP, according to NATO's data from March this year.

Text: Hina

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