Stoltenberg says NATO highly appreciates Croatia's contribution

NATO highly appreciates Croatia's determined commitment to the alliance and its contribution to the missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan, as well as to the collective defence and strength of the alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after talks with Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic in Zagreb on Thursday.

Stoltenberg warned that the global security situation was deteriorating, stressing that in the South violence was spreading through Iraq, the Middle East and North Africa and that the number of terrorism threats, encouraged by the radical ideology, was also increasing.

There is a security problem in the East as well, where the aggressive Russia is changing borders by force, annexing Crimea and destabilising eastern Ukraine, Stoltenberg told a news conference which he held together with Milanovic.

Milanovic said Croatia has been contributing to NATO for years, in line with its possibilities and sometimes "beyond them."

The Croatian PM said the talks also focused on the region and NATO enlargement plans and that one of the next countries to join the alliance could be Montenegro.

"Croatia is interested in seeing that happen, because it is a neighbouring and Adriatic country and we are interested in stability in this part of Europe," Milanovic said.

Stoltenberg said NATO enlargement was one of the key issues, adding that the alliance would decide whether to extend an invitation for membership to Montenegro by the end of this year.

This is part of the policy NATO has been implementing for years in this region, as it wants to strengthen itself and guarantee peace and stability to the benefit of all, Stoltenberg said expressing satisfaction with the fact that he was visiting Croatia for the first time as NATO Secretary General, although he had often visited Zagreb during his childhood and later as Norwegian Prime Minister.

(Hina) its

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