ANKARA, July 7 (BV) – Croatia is considering increasing the number of its troops serving in NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) to up to 200 personnel, Defence Minister Ivan Anušić said on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara.
Anušić said Zagreb was reviewing an expansion of its contingent, stressing that stability in the Western Balkans remains one of Croatia’s strategic security priorities.
“We plan to increase the number of Croatian soldiers to 200, which is the maximum authorised by the Croatian parliament,” he said.
The minister noted that although NATO is discussing the possibility of reducing the alliance’s overall troop presence in KFOR, Croatia believes the mission should remain robust.
“I always stress the importance of stability in the Western Balkans and the need for NATO to maintain a strong presence in the region,” Anušić said.
He also said Croatia has already met one of NATO’s key spending targets by allocating more than 1.5% of its GDP to security infrastructure, while total defence spending has reached 2.1% of GDP.
Anušić reaffirmed Croatia’s support for Ukraine and said the country’s defence industry would play a greater role in drone development under NATO’s new counter-drone programme.
He added that Croatia would also participate in NATO’s joint military air transport project, saying Zagreb remains committed to fulfilling all of its obligations within the alliance.