Den kroatiske forsvarsminister Berislav Roncevic avsluttet i dag sitt todagers besøk til Norge. Det er første gang en kroatisk forsvarsminister besøker Norge. Norge og Kroatia signerte under besøket en avtale som skal regulere det etter hvert omfattende bilaterale forsvarssamarbeidet. Ved siden av samtaler med forsvarsminister Kristin Krohn Devold, fikk forsvarsminister Roncevic en orientering om kystvakten av Flaggkommandør Geir Osen.

I løpet av oppholdet ble det avholdt et bilateralt møte mellom de to ministrene. I tillegg til orienteringer om de kroatiske forberedelser til NATO- og EU-medlemskap, var hovedtema for møtet gjensidig samarbeid og støtte til reform av forsvaret.

Det ble særlig lagt vekt på norsk støtte til etablering av en kroatisk kystvakt. Den kroatiske presidenten uttalte etter hans besøk i Norge april 2005 at den kroatiske kystvakten kom til å bli etablert etter modell av den norske. Det vil si en kystvakt etablert innen rammen av marinen, hvor man drar nytte av militær kompetanse og materiell. Forsvaret har derfor ved Kystvakten invitert Kroatia til å sende rundt 4-5 offiserer til å hospitere på norske KV skip for såkalt 'on the job training'. I tillegg inviteres kroatene til å sende elever til KV-langkurset, samt at det planlegges med et større seminar om kystvaktens rolle i samfunnet og dets interaksjon med sivile myndigheter.

Ved siden av kystvaktsamarbeidet har Norge og Kroatia i samarbeid arrangert et seminar for presse og informasjonspersonell fra 11 ulike NATO og partnerland. Kroatia deltar også på en rekke norske kurs som har relevans for deltakelse i internasjonale operasjoner.

Under møtet ble det signert en avtale som regulerer det bilaterale forsvarssamarbeidet (Memorandum of Understanding), se teksten under.

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA AND THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY ON DEFENCE CO-OPERATION

The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Croatia and the Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Norway, hereafter referred to as “the Participants”,

having in mind the goals and principles of the United Nations Charter;

wishing to fulfil the principles of the Final Act and other relevant documents of the Organisation on Security and Co-operation in Europe, in particular the principle of refraining from the use of force or threat of use of force, respect sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, co-operation among states and peaceful settlement of disputes,

acting in a spirit of partnership and co-operation, wishing to share the values of democracy, the principle of rule of law, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedom,

aiming to strengthen the understanding between their two countries and to contribute towards peace, stability, security and mutually beneficial co-operation on the whole European continent, recognising the importance of stable and democratic sovereign states to the interests of confidence, stability and security in Europe as a whole,

in fulfilment of the co-operation taking place within the framework of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and the Partnership for Peace initiative,

recognising that the provisions of the Agreement among the States Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty and the other States Participating in the Partnership for Peace regarding the Status of their Forces and the Additional Protocol, done at Brussels on 19 June 1995, will apply to the co-operation established by this Memorandum of understanding (hereafter referred to as “MOU”),

being convinced that their co-operation in the defence field will contribute to further strengthening of the good relations already established between the Republic of Croatia and the Kingdom of Norway,

have reached the following understanding:

SECTION 1

PURPOSE

The purpose of this MOU is to provide a framework for co-operation between the Participants in the field of defence within the limits of their competencies stipulated by their national legislation.

SECTION 2

STATUS OF THE MOU

The Participants will co-operate in the field of defence in accordance with the laws of their respective countries and applicable international law.

Co-operation in the field of defence between the Participants will be effected with the intention of strengthening peace and stability and will not be directed against other countries.

SECTION 3

AREAS OF CO-OPERATION

1. The Participants will develop bilateral defence contacts especially in the following principal areas:

• defence policy;
• the role of the armed forces in democratic societies;
• defence budgeting;
• personnel matters and management;
• professional development, training and education;
• -
• peacekeeping, peace enforcement and support to the Global War on Terrorism;
• health care and insurance;
• protection of the environment.

2. The fields mentioned in this MOU could be extended or limited by written consent of the two Participants.

3. In order to fulfil the provisions of this MOU and implement the co-operation in the fields mentioned in this Section, paragraph 1, the Participants may conclude separate specific agreements.

SECTION 4

FORMS OF CO-OPERATIION

The co-operation may take place through the visits, consultations, meetings, exchanges of views, seminars and other kinds of activities mutually approved by the Participants.

SECTION 5

CO-OPERATION PLAN

On the basis of this MOU, the Participants will compile an annual co-operation plan, specifying the areas of co-operation which have been mutually approved, when and where they will be carried out, and other matters.

Each annual co-operation plan will be prepared and mutually approved by the Participants no later than the end of October in the preceding year.

SECTION 6

FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS

In carrying out activities as the result of this MOU and the annual co-operation plan, the Participant will observe the following principles:

the host Participant will be responsible for providing without charge to the visiting personnel participating in the programme:

transport from the point of arrival on its national territory to the location or locations where a particular visit or activity is to take place, all travel done in performance of official duty associated with the activity within the national territory of the host Participant and transport to the departure point for the return journey to the national territory of the sending Participant;

messing and accommodation to the same standard as would be provided for its own personnel;

if necessary, translation into the language of the sending Participant;

in addition, the host Participant may, at its discretion, offer to pay for travel from and back to the national territory of the sending Participant for personnel of the sending Participant engaged in a specific activity;

the sending Participant will be responsible for:

arrangements and transport for the return to the national territory of the sending Participant in case of injuries among its personnel;

transport arrangements not otherwise specified in this MOU or specifically approved in advance of any activity;

the manpower costs of its visiting personnel, insurance costs entailed in the journey and costs associated with preparing personnel for the activities concerned;

as an exception to the conditions set out under this heading, funding of visits by large groups will be decided by mutual consent of the Participants in each specific case.

Where necessary, the Participants may make separate financial arrangements for the specific forms of military co-operation.

SECTION 7

EMERGENCY MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE

Emergency medical and dental care, if required, will be provided to visiting personnel by the host Participant in accordance with the standards applying to personnel of the host Participant.

Emergency medical and dental care will be provided at no cost to the sending Participant, but the cost of any other medical or dental care will be borne by the sending Participant.

The sending Participant is to ensure that its personnel are medically and dental fit before any activity takes place, and personnel requiring any prescribed medication are to be provided with enough of that medication to cover the whole period of the activity in question.

SECTION 8

SECURITY

The Participants will safeguard all classified information or material exchanged or generated under the provisions of this MOU in accordance with their national security laws and regulations. The Participant getting information or material will grant analogous security classification level for the information and material as it was granted by the Participant that arranged the information or material.

The Participants will ensure that classified information provided or generated pursuant to this MOU will not be released to any other Government, national organisation or other entity of a third party without the prior written consent of the originating Participant.

All visiting personnel will comply with the security regulations of the host country. The Participants will ensure that any information disclosed or made available to visitors will be treated in accordance with the provisions of this MOU.

SECTION 9

SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES

Disputes relating to the interpretation or application of this MOU will be resolved solely by negotiation between the Participants and will not be referred to any other national or international tribunal or third party for settlement.

SECTION 10

AMENDMENTS

This MOU may be amended at any time, in writing, with the mutual consent of the Participants.

The agreed amendments are integral part of this MOU and shall enter into effect in accordance with the provisions of Section 12 of this MOU.

SECTION 11

DURATION AND TERMINATION

This MOU is concluded for an unlimited period of time. Each Participant can denounce this MOU at any time by giving 90 days prior written notice to the other Participant.

In case of termination, the Participants will co-operate in order to reach the best solution for the pending matters.

SECTION 12

ENTRY INTO EFFECT

This MOU will enter into effect upon the date of the last signature.

Signed in ___________on ______ 2005, in two original copies in the English language.