Croatia is planning to increase the number of its troops serving in NATO’s Kosovo Force (KFOR) to up to 200 personnel, according to Croatian media reports from the NATO Summit in Ankara.
Croatian Defense Minister Ivan Anušić said that Zagreb is considering expanding its military contingent in Kosovo, emphasizing that stability in the Western Balkans remains one of the region’s key security priorities.
“We plan to increase the number of Croatian soldiers to 200, which is the maximum authorized by the Croatian Parliament,” Anušić said.
He added that although NATO is discussing the possibility of reducing the overall number of troops in KFOR, Croatia believes the Alliance should maintain a strong presence in the region.
“I always emphasize the importance of stability in the Western Balkans and the need for NATO to remain strongly present in this region,” he stated.
According to Croatian media, Anušić also noted that Croatia has already achieved one of NATO’s key objectives by allocating more than 1.5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to security infrastructure, while total defense spending currently stands at 2.1% of GDP.
The defense minister stressed that Croatia will continue supporting Ukraine and that the country’s defense industry will play a greater role in the development of drones under NATO’s new counter-drone defense program.
He also announced that Croatia will participate in NATO’s joint military air transport project, reaffirming that Zagreb continues to meet all of its commitments within the Alliance.
